m-^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



©lap.---. §mm¥ 1« — 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



Church Members' Guide 



Baptist Chu^rches 



// 



J3 



/ / Prof. Williams Rutherford, A. M 



ATHENS, GEORGIA. 




Atlanta, Ga. : 

Jas. p. Harrison & Co., Printers and Publishers. 

1885. 




1^2 



Entered according^ to Act of Congress in the year 1885, 

By WILLIAMS RUTHERFORD, 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



^^ For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord 
is our King, He will save us." — Isa. xxxiii.22. 

PREFACE. 

Baptists have been more frequently mi^epresented than any 
other denomination of Christians. Much of this misrepresenta- 
tion has resulted from the imperfect manner in which many Bap- 
tists have explained the tenets of the denomination, which they 
themselves did not clearly comprehend. Nearly fifty years' expe- 
rience as a member of Baptist Churches in different pa ts of the 
State has convinced me that a short scriptural presentation of 
what Baptists believe and practice is greatly needed in all the 
Churches. In this little volume I have rejected all other author- 
ity than the Bible, which Baptists have ever claimed as the ''only 
rule of Faith and Practice." Their motto is, " Let God be true, 
but every man a liar." Rom. iii.4. Whatever is clearly stated 
in the Scriptures of revealed truth must be accepted, whether the 
human mind can comprehend it or not. Upon these fundamental 
principles the ''Church Members' Guide" has been constructed. 

The seeming tautology in the title may be criticised. I adopted 
it with deliberation. First, that no one purchasing the book 
could truthfully say he had been deceived by the title. Second, 
that it should carry with it the idea of the independence of the 
" Churches." Objection may be made that some of the chapters 
and many passages are irrelevant. I have endeavored in what 
I have written to meet all the difficulties that arise in the minds 
of young Baptists which I have noticed in my long experience. 
Again, it may be said that there is too much repetition. Be it re- 
membered that the book has been written mainly for Babes in 
Christ, Baptists of fuller age, who have not taken the trouble to 
inform, themselves, and outsiders who are not familiar with what 
Baptists believe, and who often misrepresent them. 

Williams Rutherford. 

Athens, Georgia, September, 1885. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

First Principle: " Soul Liberty " 1 

Second Principle: Equality of Christians 2 

Third Principle : No Christian has a right to assume authority 
over any other Christian 3 

CHAPTER II. 

Churches 5 

Organization of Christians into churches plainly defined in the 

New Testament... 6 

The twelve Apostles the first organized body of Christians and 
the only one up to the time of the ascension of Christ. 
The first church organized after the ascension when the hun- 
dred and twenty disciples met and elected Matthias to take 
the place of Judas. The second meeting on the day of Pen- 
tecost, when the plan for the admission of members was 

plainly set forth 8 

I Baptists have followed this order of proceeding — order stated 9 

CHAPTER III 10 

Every church organized on the divine plan becomes a local 
church responsible to no other organization. Teaching of 
Jesus on private or personal offenses of one Christian against 

another. Peter not the head of the church 11 

Not infallible 14 

Public offenders brought before the church when "gathered 

together." Restoredby the church which excludes. No appeal. 16 
Church at Antioch acted independently in sending out Barn- 
abas and Saul and receiving their report 17 

CHAPTER IV. 

Ordinances.., 19 

Two fundamental doctrines in salvation of souls. The broken 
body and shed blood of Jesus— his death, burial and resur- 
rection. The ordinances, only two, to keep in mind these 
two fundamental truths 19 



VI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK V. 

Baptism 21 

A type of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ clearly 

proven by Scripture 22 

Baptism is immersion, and nothing else. Who are proper sub- 
jects of baptism 23 

Charge that Baptists make a Saviour of baptism refuted 23 

CHAPTER VI. 
Infant Baptism 27 

Baptism did not take the pJace of circumcision. John did not 
allude to any such substitution, but denied the right to be 
baptized on the ground of having descended from pious parents 28 

Baptism without faith in Christ forbidden in the case of the 
Eunuch. All those Scriptures which speak of baptism as a 
type of the resurrection utterly inconsistent with infant 
baptism. Household baptisms 29 

Baptists believe that all children who die in infancy are saved. 31 

CHAPTER VII. 
The Lord's Supper 32 

The three accounts given by Mtitihew, Mark and Luke. "The 
twelve" only present at the institution of the supper. They 
had repented, believed and been baptized. They were the 
only Christians who had up to that time been organized. 
This organized body of professing Christians partake of the 
bread and wine in " remembrance " of Christ 33 

No scriptural authority for administering the ordinance to any 
but such as have been organized according to the divine order. 34 

It cannot communicate saving grace, and is perverted when 
used for this purpose. The bread and wine used simply as 

symbols. Young Christians often perplexed 35 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Close Communion 36 

Baptists charged with being exclusive. The supper was not 
instituted to show Christian love and fellowship for one anoth- 
er. The only order is : " do it in remembrance of me." Jesus 
did not invite other Christians in Jerusalem to unite with 
the Apostles, the only organized body, not even his mother. 
Other Christians are organized besides Baptists 37 

Ground which nearly all organizations take in common with 



CONTENTS. VII 

reference to baptism preceding the Lord's Supper. Baptists 
practice immersion because the Bible allows nothing else to 

be baptism 38 

CHAPTER IX. 

Open Communion Baptists 39 

Invite to the Lord's Supper on different principle from others.. 39 
CHAPTER X. 

Foot Washing .40 

Many Baptists believe foot washing to be an ordinance to be 
practiced in connection with the Lord's Supper. Scriptures 

on the subject 41 

la every instance performed in a private house. Matthew, 
Mark and Luke as well as Paul give minute accounts of the 

supper and not one word about foot washing 44 

John does not give an account of the supper , 45 

CHAPTER XL 

Bishops or Pastors , 46 

The only officers in the primitive churches were Bishops (Elders 
or Pastors) and Deacons 47 

CHAPTER XII. 
Preaching , 49 

Preaching not official, but all who desire ma}'- preach Chrisc. It 
is the duty of every church to encourage those who desire 
and are apt to teach, to preach. Not proper to speak of li- 
censing preachers 50 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Call to the Ministry 51 

All true ministers are called of God ; ,. 51 

Qualifications of ministers of the gospel 51 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Duties of Pastors 54 

1st. To feed the flock. 2nd. Improve himself by prater and 
meditation that his profiting may appear to all. 3rd. To 
look after those of his flock who may be sick or in distress. 
4th. Search out such as stray and lead them back to the fold. 55 
CHAPTER XV. 

Selection of Pastors 57 

Should be done by the whole church when gathered together 
with one accord after earnest prayer for divine guidance 57 



VIII CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Deacoks 58 

How the first seven were elected and ordained. Baptist churches 
pursue the same plan. Answer to the question when and 
where were Baptist churches organized 59 

Duty of Deacons 61 

CHAPTER XVII. 

MiNTSTEEIAL SUPPORT : 68 

How once a month preaching came to be adopted 68 

No Scripture for it. Every church ought to worship every Sab- 
bath ". 69 

Early disciples or preachers supported by "many ministering 

unto them of their substance" 70 

The minister should give himself wholly to the ministry. Liber- 
ality of early chuches. Religious giving a grace 73 

Evidence of love 74 

Jesus commends liberal contributions of our substance 75 

New Testament rule 76 

Plans for raising pastor's salary 77 

Covetousness a crime 78 

Country churches could pay pastor's salary in produce 80 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

The Membership of Churches , 82 

Scriptural condition of membership. Immersion must neces- 
sarily be instantaneous.... , 83 

No force in the objection, that so many as were added to the 
church at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost could have been 
immersed. Individual responsibility of each member of a 

Baptist church 84 

Prayer.. • 86 

Private, public, social, and family prayer 90 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Sabbath 94 

The command. Jesus' interpretation. Isaiah's presentation. 
No conflict 96 

CHAPTER XX. 
Sunday-schools 98 

Bible injunction to teach our children. Every church ought to 

control the Sunday-school ... 99 

Not to take the place of preaching. Superintendent 100 

Teachers 101 



CONTENTS. IX 

Most important work of the Sunday-school 102 

Liberality encouraged 103 

CHAPTER XXL 

Missions 105 

Meaning of missionary. Jesus and His Apostles missiona- 
ries. Church at Antioch sent out missionaries... , 106 

Paul's argument 109 

Paul a missionary to the heathen 110 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Anti-mission Baptist 112 

God's two promises. Both the subject of predestination. Labor 

required of man in each 113 

CHAPTER XXIIL 
How money can be best raised for missions 116 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
Associations 117 

CHAPTER XXV. 
Conventions 123 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Christian Duties 128 

Duty to attend church meetings. To adorn the doctrine of God 

in all things. Marriage. Father and mother 129 

Family discipline 130 

Divorce 130 

CHAPTER XXVII., 

Evidences of Discipleship 133 

Desponding Christians. Bible evidences. Our very sins some- 
times made the means of our recovery, as in the case of Peter 
and David. Temptations usually follow close after baptism... 134 
CHAPTER XXVIIL 

Sin Against the Holy Ghost 135 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Faith 137 

From the divine and from the human standpoint 139 

CHAPTER XXX. 
Humility 140 

CHAPTER XXXL 
Holiness and Sanctification 141 

CHAPTER XXXII. 
Growth in Grace 145 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
Searching THE Scbiptures 147 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Unity of Brethren 151 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Forgiveness 154 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Tongue 156 

• CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Tribulation 159 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Patience 161 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Conformity to the World 163 

CHAPTER XL. 

Honesty , , 166 

CHAPTER XLT. 

Debt , 168 

CHAPTER XLII. 

Industry 169 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

Hospitality 171 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

Courtesy 173 

CHAPTER XLV. 

Weak Brethren ". 175 

CHAPTER XLVI. 

Drunkenness 177 

CHAPTER XLVir. 

Moderation 181 

CHAPTER XLVIll. 

Christian Duty to Government 182 

CHAPTER XLIX. 

General Characteristics of Christians 196 

CHAPTER L. 
Confession of Faith 200 



CHURCH MEMBERS' GUIDE. 



" Ye do err, notknoiving the Scriptures.''^ Matt. xxii. 29. 
^^ But I IV III show thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth.'* 
Dan. X. 21. 

CHAPTER I. 

Before proceeding to arrange Bible teaching on mat- 
ters of " faith and practice," it is proper to announce some 
fundamental principles derived directly from the Word 
of God. These principles, as well as the various items 
of faith, will be fortified by the exact words of revealed 
truth ; and, in order that there shall be no mistake, 
every principle and item of faith and practice will be 
surrounded by the Bible quotations, upon which it is 
based. 

PRINCIPLE 1st. 

"Who art thou that JVb ma7l, or com- "For it is written, 

judgeth another man /• 7 ' as I live, saith the 

servant? To his own P^^^V ^OJ men, nave Lord, every knee shall 

master he standeth or the Tight to dictate bow to me. and every 

lalleth " Rom. xiv:4. fo any other man tongue shaU confess to 

"But why dost thou -l f. '-l i jj God. So then, every 

judge thy brother? Or ^J^r ^^^^^/^ ^^^ one of us shall give ac- 

wby dost thou set at Ship, or tiow tie snail count of himself to 

naught thy brother? worship, provided he Grod.'' Rom. xiv:ll. 

for we shall all stand ^ ^ - ^ ^ ^j^ " For we must all 

before the judgment j . i/ciyt.<^<.c/ .. c. ^ppe^j. before the 

seat of Christ." Rom. laws Of morality m judgment seat of 

3iv:10. his worship, or in- Christ ; that everv one 

terjere with the rights "^^^ r^ceieve things 
/ ,1 ^ done in his body, ac- 

OJ Otners. cording to that he hath 

done, whether it be 
good or bad." 2 Cor. 
v:10. 

The above principle, drawn from surrounding Scrip- 
tures ,embodies the great doctrine of " soul liberty." This 



CHURCH MEMBERS' GUIDE 



doctrine applies to every responsible human being, irre- 
spective of church relations. 

Baptists have in all ages claimed this as a fundamen- 
tal doctrine, and it has prevented them from ever perse- 
cuting any other order on account of their religious 
faith. Many confound religious or " soul liberty " with 
toleration. " Toleration implies a right in the sover- 
eign to control men in their opinions and worship. (Web- 
ster.) '' Soul liberty " denies any such right in any hu- 
man authority. Hence, the toleration extended by Lord 
Baltimore to the settlers in Maryland, should never be 
spoken of as " soul liberty," such as was claimed by 
Koger Williams. 

We frequently hear men spoken of as tolerant. It is 
an improper use of the word. No man can be said to 
tolerate what he has no right to suppress. Let it be re- 
membered that Baptists understand by '' soul liberty '^ 
that no human authority has a right to interfere with 
the relations between a human soul and his God. 



"But be not ye 
called Rabbi: for one 
is your Mas'er even 
Christ ; and all ye are 
brethren." 

And call no man 
your father upon 
earth, ^or one is your 
Father which is in 
heaven. Neither be 
ye called masters, for 
one is your Master, 
even Christ. Matt. 
xxiii:8-10 

'Neither being ^ords 
over God's heritage, 
but being ensamoles 
to the flock. 1 Peter 
v:3. 



PRINCIPLE 2nd. 

All believers in 
Christ are equal in 
their rights and per- 
sonal responsibili- 
ties. 



"The kings of the 
Gentiles exercise lord- 
ship over them ; and 
they that exercise au- 
thority upoTi them are 
called benefactors, but 
ye shall not be so." 
Luke xxii:25, 26. 

"Ye are bought with 
a price ; be not ye the 
servants of men." 1 
Cor vii:23. 

"My brethren have 
not the faith of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, the 
Lord of glory, with 
respect of persons." 
James ii:l. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 



" But ye shall be 
named the priests of 
the Lord" Isa. Ixvi: 
21. 

Unto him that loved 
us, and washed us 
from our sins in his 
own blood. 

And hath made us 
k'ngs and priests unto 
God and his Father; 
to Him be glory and 
dominion forever and 
ever." Rev. i:5, 6. 

"But ye are a chosen 
generation, a royal 
priesthood and holy 
nation, a peculiar peo- 
ple." 1 Peter ii:9. 



PRINCIPLE 3d. 

No Christian has 
a right to assume 
authority over any 
other Christian or 
claim to 



"Not for that we 
have dominion over 
your faith, but are 
helpers of your joy; 
for by faith ye stand." 
2 Cor. i:24. 

"Do 3 e not know 
that the saints shall 
judge the world?" 1 
Cor. vi:2. 

"Ye are bought with 
a price ; be not ye ser- 
vants of men." 1 Cor. 
vii:23. 

"Ye have reigned 
as kings without us; 
and I would to God ye 
did reign, that we also 
might reign with you.' 
1 Cor. iv:8. 



This principle naturally grows out of the second, but 
is more fully set forth in the character of all Christians 
as kings and priests. As kings, they are equal in au- 
thority ; as priests, each one for himself can approach 
" the Great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, 
Jesus, the Son of God." " For we have not an high 
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our 
infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like as we are, 
yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto 
the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find 
grace to help in time of need." Heb. iv:14-16. 

" For there is one God, and one mediator between God 
and men, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. ii:5. 

These principles apply to all men and all Christians 
in their unorganized state. Successful organizations can 
only exist when composed of persons who are agreed. 
" Can two walk together, except they be agreed ?" Amos 
iii:3. 



4 CHURCH MExMBERS' GUIDE 

When organized according to the apostolic plan, heretics 
must be rejected. Titus iii:10. Hence, if a man should 
claim, under the three fundamental principles, to enter- 
tain any doctrine he may choose, or indulge in any prac- 
tice he may decide to be proper for him, as independent 
in religious matters, he must be " rejected " and no 
longer held in fellowship by those who interpret God's 
word differently. By this rejection he is not deprived of 
the pr,ivilege of holding any doctrine he chooses to en- 
tertain, but the organization is no longer responsible for 
his course. He is personally responsible to God. (Prin- 
ciple 1st.) 

Having fixed the true position of the Christian as re- 
sponsible alone to God for his faith and practice, and in- 
dependent of human authority in matters of religion, the 
next logical step is the organization of Christians in 
bodies or Churches. 



FOR BAPTIST CHUECHES. 



CHAPTER 11. 

CHURCHES. 

I have heard distinguished doctors of divinity say that 
^' the Bible furnished no form of Church organization, 
and, therefore, men were left to choose any form which 
suited best their taste and convenience." While we find 
no regular constitution and by-laws in technical order, 
by number of sections and articles, let us see if an organi- 
zation, as clear and distinct as if written out in due form, 
cannot be derived from the teachings of God's Word. The 
only organized body of Christians, of which the Bible 
gives us any account while Jesus was upon the earth, 
was composed of the twelve apostles. Their names and 
number were recorded and they met as disciples and 
formed the Assembly or Church. The only meeting, 
which they held, when any business was transacted that 
affected the business of all subsequent assemblies or 
Churches of the Saints, was on the occasion when Jesus 
instituted the Lord's Supper and gave commandment 
that they or all disciples should observe it till He came. 

"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apos- 
tles with him. 

And he said unto them, 

With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I 
suffer : for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it 
be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave 
thanks, and said. 

Take this, and divide it among yourselves : for I say unto you, I 



6 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall 
come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and break it and gave 
unto them, saying, 

This is my body which is given for you : this do in remembrance 
of me." Luke xxii:14-19. 

The facts to be remembered in the Scripture just 
quoted are : 1st. That the " twelve apostles," compos- 
ing at that time the only organized Church on earth, 
were present, and only they, with Jesus. 2d. That the 
ordinance of the Lord's Supper was instituted for the spe- 
cial use of organized bodies of Christians, to be observed 
by them until " He come." Jesus was that night be- 
trayed and was crucified after a mock trial. For forty 
days 'Hhe twelve" held no meeting excepf for prayer. 
The first organized meeting held after the ascension was 
"when the " hundred and twenty " met. Peter acted as 
moderator or spokesman. 

" In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the dis- 
ciples, and said (the number of the names together were 
about an hundred and twenty), Men and brethren, this 
scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy 
Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning 
Judas, which was guide to them which took Jesus. For 
he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this 
ministry, etc. Wherefore of these men which have com- 
panied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in 
and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, 
unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must 
one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrec- 
tion. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, 
who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they 
prayed, and said, Thou Lord, which knoweth the hearts 
of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 7 

that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, 
from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go 
to his own place. And they gave forth their lots ; and 
the lot fell upon Matthias ; and he was numbered with 
the eleven apostles." Acts i:15-26. 

Peter addressed the whole hundred and twenty, '^ men 
and brethren." He did not, as head of the Church, ap- 
point the man to take the place of Judas. " They," the 
hundred and twenty appointed (or nominated, in modern 
language), two, Justus and Matthias. Then " they " 
prayed, asking God's direction in the choice which 
"they" were about to make. Then "the}^" gave forth 
their lots (or voted, as we would say), and the lot fell on 
Matthias, or Matthias was elected. 

Every orderly Baptist Church has done precisely the 
same thing from that day to this. When a minister is 
to be elected they meet, together as these hundred and 
twenty disciples did. Two are generally nominated; 
the proposition is made that they pray God for direction 
in the selection ; they then vote, or, ''cast lots," and the 
one receiving the highest number of votes is declared to 
be the choice. It is proper to remark here that Peter, the 
Moderator on that occasion, did not dictate who was to be 
chosen, but simply stated the qualification necessary in 
the man to be elected. He must be chosen from among 
that class of men who had journeyed with the apostles, 
and had been eye witnesses of what Jesus had done, '^be- 
ginning from the baptism of John unto the same day 
that he was taken up from us." It will be observed that 
no man, after that generation had died out, could possess 
these peculiar qualifications. Hence, there can be no 
"Apostolic Succession." 



GUIDE 

SECOND. 

" And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all 
with one accord in one place." Acts. ii:l. 

The second meeting of the church was a few days after 
the one just noticed. At this meeting the miraculous 
display of God's Spirit was made. A large concourse of \ 
people gathered, Peter preached a regular gospel sermon, 
in which he declared, ''Therefore let all the house of 
Israel know assuredly, that God has made this same Jesus, 
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when 
they heard this, they were pricked to the heart, and said 
unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and breth- 
ren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Re- 
pent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of 
Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall re- 
ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then they that gladly 
received his word were baptized ; and the same day there 
were added unto them about three thousand souls. And 
they continued in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, 
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts ii:36-42. 

Please notice that "they" (the same they which referred 
to the hundred and twenty), "were all with one accord in 
one place." That Peter preached a gospel sermon, that 
the men who heard him were ''pricked to the heart," or 
convicted of sin, and cried out, "What must we do?" 
Peter replied ! "Repent, and be baptized." That '-they 
that gladly received his word," or message, "were bap- 
tized," (only those who were pricked to the heart, and 
gladly received the word were baptized); that these were 
added to them, the hundred and twenty, and that they 
continued in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and 
breaking of bread, and prayers. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 9 

This precise thin^ has been done by every orderly Bap- 
tist Church, from that day to this, in precisely the same 
order. The members of the Church meet together, as 
these hundred and twenty did. A preacher preaches an 
old-fashioned gospel sermon, as Peter did ; when men are 
convicted, and inquire what they must do, they are told to 
to repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; 
when they gladly receive this word, the preacher baptizes 
them, and never before they gladly receive the Word i. e. af- 
ter repentance. Then they are added unto ^hem (the mem- 
bers of the Church,) and then when added they are ex- 
horted to continue in the apostles' doctrine, and fellow- 
ship, and breaking of bread, and prayers. The Lord's 
Supper alluded to in breaking bread, coming a/^er baptism. 

If Baptist Churches have any organization it is de- 
rived directly from the Bible. 

1st. Every person is directly responsible to God alone 
for what he believes and how he worships. 

2nd. Every member is on an equality with every other 
member. 

3rd. Ministers have no right to claim to be lords over 
God's heritage, but must be examples to the flock. 

4th. When organized in a body, all members are equally 
entitled to vote on all questions affecting the interest of 
God'e kingdom on earth. 

5th. Men must first have the gospel preached to them ; 
when they repent and gladly receive the gospel mes- 
sage, (made known to the Church in some way,) they 
may be baptized, and then added as members, then 
taught the doctrines of the Apostles, then take the Lord's 
Supper. 

All of these principles have been established, by the 
word of God, in the foregoing pages. 



10 CHURCH members' GUIDE 



CHAPTER III. 

A Church thus organized becomes a local Church, and 
not responsible to an}^ other religious organization. 
That it is local is abundantly proved by the Bible state- 
ments. This character will more fully appear, if we ex- 
amine the manner in which the discipline of the Church 
is administered. Jesus says, " Moreover, if thy brother 
trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between 
thee and him alone ; if he shall hear thee, thou hast 
gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then 
take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or 
three witnesses every word may be established. And if 
he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church : 
but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto 
thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily, I say 
unto 3^ou, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be 
bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth 
shall be loosed in heaven." Matt, xviii. 15 18. 

This case of discipline is one which arises from per- 
sonal difficulties between two brethren. After the of- 
fended party has exhausted all the methods which Jesus 
enjoins, our blessed Saviour says, " tell it to the ChurchJ" 
If the Church here spoken of were not a local organiza- 
tion, collected in a compass small enough for every 
member of the Church to hear the complaint, then there 
cannot be any meaning in the direction. 

It is utterly inconsistent with the idea of a general 
Church, composed of the membership of a State or Ter- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 11 

ritory. The aggrieved party is not to tell his complaint 
to the preacher, elder, or bishop, but '' to the Church.''^ 
The Church severs connection with the ofifending party 
when he becomes as " a heathen man and a publican." 
These words of Jesus show that the Church, which was 
to be organized, must be a local assembly of Christians, 
who alone would have the right to excommunicate a 
member. In this direction he makes no provision for 
an appeal from the decision of the Church. It is final. 
He closes by telling the Apostles, to whom he was then 
speaking, "Verily, whatsoever you shall bind on earth 
shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose 
on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matt, xviii. 18. By 
this he meant that he would guide them when they or- 
ganized churches, such as he named here, so that they 
should make no mistake. That they should be of such a 
character as he would approve, and would be capable of 
doing what he required of such organizations. It was 
what he said to Peter, when in answer to the question : 
" Whom say ye that I am ? " Peter answered and said, 
" Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And 
Jesus answered and said unto him, '' Blessed art thou, 
Simon Barjona : for flesh and blood hath not revealed it 
unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I 
say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will 
build my Church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the 
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on 
earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou 
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matt, 
xvi. 15, 19. 
In this he tells Peter that upon the confession which 



12 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

he had made, that is, "thou art the Christ," he would 
build his Church. This was fulfilled most beautifully 
when Peter gathered '' the hundred and twenty " disci- 
ples and, under divine inspiration, stated the qualifica- 
tion for an apostle, and directed these hundred and 
twenty how to elect a man in place of Judas. Again, in 
a few days more, he preached the great confession that 
"Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God;" and 
the organization of the Church w^as further improved by 
establishing the principle upon which members were to 
be "added," by first, repentance and faith in Jesus 
Christ, and then baptism, after a " glad " reception of his 
word or message. 

Here we have the Church at Jerusalem organized 
through the agency of Peter, who claimed no peculiar 
authority. We find him simply directing how the hun- 
dred and twenty disciples were to proceed with an elec- 
tion, and then how members were to be added to their 
number. 

His personal authority did not exceed the authority 
of the humblest Baptist preacher who presides over a 
Church meeting at this time. The sermon he preached 
on the day of Pentecost was just such a sermon as a 
common Baptist preacher preaches now, when he 
charges home upon the consciences of his hearers, ''that 
God hath made this same Jesus, whom ye have cruci- 
fied, both Lord and Christ." Acts ii. 36. 

Peter nowhere ever claimed supremacy over other 
Christians, but, on the contrary, he was the man who 
said, " The elders which are among you I exhort, who 
am also an elder. Feed the flock of God which is among 
you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 13 

willingly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; nei- 
ther as being lords over God^s heritage, but being ensamples to 
the flock:' 1 Peter V. 1-3. 

That Jesus did not intend to convey the idea that Pe- 
ter was infallible, or that any man claiming to be his suc- 
cessor would be infallible, is sufficiently proved by the 
remark he made to Peter immediately after telling him 
that " Whatsoever he should bind on earth should be 
bound in heaven," etc. "From that time forth began 
Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go 
into Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and 
the chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised 
again on the third day. Then Peter took him, and be- 
gan to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; 
this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said 
unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan : thou art an of- 
fence unto me : for thou savorest not of the things that 
be of God, but those that be of men." Matt. xvi. 21 23. 

Again, when Jesus said, " All ye shall be offended be- 
cause of me this night : Peter answered and said unto him, 
Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet 
will I never be offended. Jesus saith unto him. Verily, 
I say unto the6, that this night before the cock crow 
thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though 
I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee." Matt, 
xxvi. 31 35. Jesus was led away to Caiphas, the high 
priest. "Now Peter sat without in the palace, and a 
damsel cams unto him saying. Thou, also, wast with Je- 
sus of Galilee ; but he denied before them all, saying, I 
know not what thou sayest." Being again charged, 
'' then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know 
not the man." Matt. xxvi. 69 74. 



14 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

This showed Peter to be quite as fallible as the weak- 
est of men. It should be remembered that he did not 
dictate to the hundred and twenty brethren composing 
the first organized Church, who they should elect, but 
simply stated the qualification of the man to be selected 
to take the place of Judas. Ever after his base denial of 
Jesus, he was the most unobtrusive and modest disciple 
of whom the Bible gives any account. He said of Jesus, 
'^ The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is 
made the head of the corner. 1 Peter ii. 7. 

This last Scripture, from the mouth of Peter himself, 
shows that he did not suppose that when Jesus said, 
" Upon this rock I will build my church," that he meant 
him (Peter)^ but himself^ and the confession which Pe- 
ter made at the time, which is : " Thou art the Christ,, 
the Son of the living God." It will further be seen that 
Peter did not claim any peculiar grace that was not com- 
mon to all Christians. 

" Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus- 
Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith 
with us through the righteousness of God and our Sa- 
viour Jesus Christ." 2 Peter i:l. 

" Like precious faith ^^^ nothing superior to, or beyond the 
faith which any Christian has in the atoning blood of 
Christ-t 

Now take another case of discipline, where the offense 
is not a private difii ;ulty between two brethren, bit one 
against public morals. In order that the case may be 



tSome may think this discussion of Peter's of35ce irrelevant. Not 
so. I have encountered trouble in the minds of j'oung Baptists on 
this point. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 15 

made clear, I copy the whole of the 5th chapter of 1st 
Corinthians: 

•' It is reported commonly that there is fornication 
among you, and such fornication as is not so much as 
named among the Gentiles, that one should have his 
father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather 
mourned that he that hath done this deed might be ta- 
ken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in 
body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as 
though I were present, concerning him that hath so done 
this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when 
ye are gathered together and my spirit, with the power 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto 
Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit 
may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glo- 
rying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven 
leaveneth the whole lump ? Purge out, therefore, the 
old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are un- 
leavened. For even Christ, our passover, is sacrificed 
for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old 
leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wicked- 
ness ; but with the unleaved bread of sincerity and truth. 
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with for- 
nicators. Yet, not altogether with the fornicators 
of this world, or with the covetous or extortion- 
ers, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go 
out of the world. But now I have written unto you not 
to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be 
a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater or a railer, or a 
drunkard or extortioner ; with such an one no not to eat. 
For what have I to do to judge them also that are with- 
out? Do not ye judge them that are within ? But them 



16 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

that are without God judgeth. Therefore, put away from 
among yourselves that wicked person." Cor. 5th chap- 
ter. 

It will be remembered that the epistle from which this 
chapter is taken is directed " unto the church of God, 
which is at Corinth." 1 Cor. i :2. 

I have given the entire chapter, in order to set the 
case together with the 'apostle's argument before the 
reader that he may take in more completely the point 
made, to-wit : That in case of a public offence, or an of- 
fence against the moral code, a different treatment is pre- 
scribed by the Word of God. No one is here required to 
labor with the offender, but he is to be at once arraigned 
before the whole Church ; " when ye are gathered to- 
gether" (verse 4th). The whole Church, when gathered 
together, are required " to put away from themselves that 
wicked person" (verse 13). The entire discipline in this 
and all similar cases involving covetousness, idolatry, 
railing, drunkenness, and extortion (verse 11), devolves 
upon the local Church, acting " when gathered together." 

In this instance, as in the instance of private offences, 
given by'the Savior in the 18th chapter of Matthew, there 
is wo appeal to a higher Church authority. Paul, alluding 
to this same case in his second epistle to the Corinthi- 
ans, says : " Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, 
which was inflicted of many, so that, contrariwise, ye 
ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest per- 
haps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch 
sorrow; wherefore, I beseech you that ye would confirm 
your love towards him." 2 Cor. ii. 6-8. 

The local Church, which excluded the man, is to restore 
him, if restored at all. Even Paul does not claim the 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. IT 

right to dictate ; but says, "I beseech you," etc. (verse 8.) 
I have quoted enough of the Bible to prove to any un- 
prejudiced mind that the discipline of members of prim- 
itive Churches was administered by the local Church of 
which the offender was a member, without the dictation 
of any man or collection of men, and that the decision of 
the Church, when acting by divine rule, was final, and 
no human authority had any right to undo what the 
Church had done. Were I to quote all the Scriptures 
showing that "Church," when applied to an organized 
body of Christians, means a local organization, perfectly 
independent of all other organizations, and amenable 
alone to God, this "Guide" would become too voluminous.. 
I will quote a few more and refer to others. 

The Church at Antioch, acting independently, sent 
out Barnabas and Saul to preach in Cyprus and Paphos^ 
and many other places. When these men had fulfilled 
their mission, they returned to Antioch (Acts xiv. 26.), 
and when the Church gathered together, Barnabas and 
Saul reported by ^'rehearsing all that God had done with 
them." Read XIII and XIV chapters of Acts. There is 
no statement in this account which indicates that there 
was any other Church on earth besides the one at 
Antioch. 

In the epistles of Paul to the Churches at Rome, Cor- 
inth, Ephesus, Colosse and Thessalonica, we find he ad- 
dresses each epistle to the^ints composing the Church 
at each place. When there was more than one Church, 
as in Galatia, his form of speech is, " Unto the Churches of 
Galatia," showing that they were distinct organizations, 
and not all together forming one Church. The Apostle 
John, in Revelation, addresses himself to the seven 
2 



18 

Churches of Asia, and then proceeds to address each one 
separately. Enough of Scripture has been cited to show 
that each one of the Apostolic Churches was a separate 
and distinct organization, which, v»rhen " assembled to- 
gether," transacted the business of that body, and was 
amenable to no other authority. Each one managed all 
cases of discipline, whether of private difficulties arising 
between brethren, or of public offences, where members 
violated public morals, as in cases of drunkenness and 
adultery, and incest, etc. 

The practice of every orderly Baptist Church, from 
time immemorial, has been in perfect accord with these 
Scriptural methods. 

The next logical step will lead to the discussion of the 
ordinances instituted by the Lord Jesus to be observed 
by the Churches " till he come." 1 Cor. xi. 26. 

There are only two for which there is any Scriptural 
authority, and, therefore, the only two which Baptists 
consider binding, to-wit : Baptism and the Lord^s Supper, 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 19 



CHAPTER IV. 
OEDINAXCES. 

Two fundamental doctrines lie at the foundation of all 
Christian faith, which our divine Master intended to 
keep always before the Christian mind : 

FIRST. 

His death, burial and resurrection. 

SECOND. 

His '* broken body " and " shed blood." 

The Apostle Paul, in his wonderful argument on the 
resurrection, says : " But if there be no resurrection of 
the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not 
risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also 
vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God ; be- 
cause we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, 
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 
For if the dead rise not. then is not Christ raised, and if 
Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet 
in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in 
Christ are perished." 1 Cor. xv. 13-18. 

The repetition, in the above language of the Apostle, 
gives some idea of the importance which the Holy Ghost, 
who inspired him, attaches to the doctrine of the resur- 
rection. 

"Jesus said unto them. Verily, verily, I say unto you, 



20 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his- 
blpod, ye have no life in you." John vi. 53. 

To keep these two vital doctrines always fresh in the 
minds of his followers, he instituted the two ordinances 
of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 21 



CHAPTER V. 
BAPTISM. 

That baptism is a type of the death, burial and resur- 
rection of Christ Jesus is clearly proven by Scripture. 

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen 
with him through the faith of the operation of God, who 
hath raised him from the dead. Col. ii. 12. 

" The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now 
save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but 
the answer of a good conscience towards God) by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter iii. 21. 

" Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into 
Jesus Christ were baptised into his death ? Therefore we 
are buried with him by baptism into death ; that like 
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the 
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

" For if we have been planted together, in the likeness 
of his deathj we shall be also in the likeness of his resur- 
rection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified 
with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that 
henceforth we should not serve sin. Now, if we be dead 
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 
Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth 
no more ; death hath no more dominion over him. For in 
that he died, he died unto sin once ; but in that he liveth, 
he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves 
to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through 



22 CHURCH members' guide 

Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin, therefore, reign irt 
your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts 
thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments 
of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto 
God, as those that are alive /rom the dead, and your mem- 
bers as instruments of righteousness unto God." Romans 
vi. 3-14. 

"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the 
dead, if the dead rise not at all ? Why are they then bap- 
tized for the dead ?" 1 Cor. xv. 29. 

The argument of the Apostle in the last quotation is 
simply this : if the dead rise not, then baptism is an use- 
less ordinance, as it typifies the resurrection. Now, the 
question arises, if baptism serves so important a part as 
the keeping alive in the Christian's mind the deathr 
burial and resurrection of Christ, what is baptism, and 
how performed? On this point the Bible is quite as 
plain as in the above statement with regard to baptism 
being a type of the resurrection. As I propose using no 
authority but the direct statements of Scripture, I pass 
over the fact that the weight of the scholarship of the 
world is on the side of those who say that the original 
word, translated^ " baptize " means to " immerse." 

"Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and 
all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of 
him" (John the Baptist) ''in Jordan, confessing their 
sins." Matt. iii. 5, 6. 

" And then went out unto him (John) all the land of 
Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of 
him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.'^' 
Mark i. 5. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 23 

"And John was baptizing in ^non, near to Salim, he- 
cause there was much water there." John iii. 23. 

" And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came 
from Nazareth to Galilee and was baptized of John in 
Jordan." Mark i. 9. 

" And as they went on their way, they came unto a 
certain water, and the eunuch said, See, here is water; 
what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said: 
If thou believeth with all thine heart thou mayest. 
And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ 
is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to 
stand still, and they went down both into the ivater, both 
Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when 
they were come up out of the ivater^ the Spirit of the Lord 
caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more^ 
and he went on his way rejoicing." Acts viii. 36-89. 

Now add to this testimony those Scriptures already 
quoted to show that baptism was a type of a burial and 
resurrection, and the conclusion is irresistible that baptism 
is immersion, and is nothing else if we take the Bible alone 
as our guide. 

Baptists, taking the Word of God as the only rule of 
faith and practice, cannot believe that any act except 
immersion of the entire person in water by an author- 
ized administrator is baptism. The administrator must 
himself have been immersed, and one who believes 
that immersion only is baptism. 

Having shown by the direct testimony of Scripture 
that baptism is immersion, and nothing else, the next 
logical step is to inquire who are the proper subjects of 
baptism ? Let us appeal to the Word of God. 

Turn to the Scriptures already quoted to show that 



"24 CHURCH members' guide 

baptism is immersion, and nothinpj else, and you will see 
that all who John the Baptist baptized repented and con- 
fessed their sins. Matt. iii. 3-6. Mark i. 5. 

That Peter, on the day of Pentecost, said to those who 
were " pricked to the heart," " Repent, and be baptized 
^every one of you" (those pricked to the heart), " in the 
name of Jesus Christ," and then it is stated immedi- 
ately, that "■ they that gladly received his word " (or the 
gospel message) " were baptized." Acts ii. 37-41. 

" He that helieveth and is baptized shall be saved." 
Mark xvi. 16. Philip said to the eunuch, *4f thou believest 
thou mayest be baptized." Acts viii. 37. "But when they 
believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the king- 
dom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were 
baptized, both men and women." Acts viii. 12 

When the Philippian jailer, in terror, asked Paul and 
Silas, "What must I do to be saved?" they said, "Be- 
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, 
and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of 
the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took 
them the same hour of the night and washed their 
stripes, and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 
And when he had brought them into his house, he set 
meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all 
bis house." Acts xvi. 30-34. Lydia's heart was first opened 
that she attended unto the things which were spoken of 
Paul, and she then was baptized, and her household. 
Acts xvi. 14, 15. 

In all these Scriptures repentance and faith precede bap- 
tism. None were baptized by John the Baptist until 
they "brought forth fruit meet for repentance." Matt. iii. 8. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 25 

None were baptized on the day of Pentecost but those 
who " gladly received " Peter's message. Acts ii. 41. 

Philip baptized only those men and ivomen who believed 
his message. Acts viii, 12. 

He would not baptize the eunuch until he professed 
faith in Christ. Acts viii. 37. 

The Lord Jesus, in his last commission to the disci- 
ples, said, " Go ye into all the world and preach the gos- 
pel to every creature. He that helieveth and is baptized 
shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." 
Mark xvi. 15, 16. ' 

In these parting words of Jesus we have the true order 
distinctly announced : First, preaching ; second, belief of 
the message ; third, baptism. No human being has a 
right to invert this order. 

Every orderly Baptist Church has from time imme- 
morial adhered to this order so clearly laid down in the 
Bible. Whenever a person applies for membership, the 
Church requires the applicant to give evidence of '' re- 
pentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," 
which is nothing more than those persons did on the day 
of Pentecost, who "gladly 'received the word," or the pas- 
tor says to the Church, as Peter said to those of "the cir- 
cumcision who believed," and who had gone with him to 
Cessarea at the call of Cornelius, " Can any man forbid 
water, that these should not be baptized who have re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost as well as we ? " Acts x. 4-7. 

The charge has been made frequently that Baptists 
make a Saviour of Baptism. Every rational man, who 
will reflect one moment on the above fundamental prin- 
ciple of the Baptists, will be ashamed that he ever made 
the charge. By this principle, every orderly Baptist 



26 CHURCH members' guide 

Church requires of every applicant for membership to 
give evidence that he is a believer in Christ ; that he has 
been regenerated; that he has passed from death unto 
life; that, in short, he is a Christian, before he can be bap- 
tized. 

Baptist Churches do not baptize men to make them 
Christians, but baptize them because they are Christians. 
When a man becomes a Christian, the first duty required, 
of him is to be baptized, to show that he is dead to the 
world, and has risen to walk in newness of life. 

Baptists insist upon this duty because the blessed 
Saviour submitted to the ordinance, and said, "Thus it 
becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Matt. iii. 15. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 27 



CHAPTER VI. 
INFANT BAPTISM. 

This is the proper place to notice the subject of Infant 
Baptism. 

Many excellent and godly Christians insist upon the 
duty of parents to baptize their children. While there 
is not a single Scripture that directly authorizes the 
practice, there are some good and able men who imagine 
that they can infer the duty from the Scriptures. Let 
us examine this question in the light of God's word. 
Some very confidently assert that baptism, under the 
new dispensation, takes the place of circumcision under 
the ''Abrahamic Covenant;" and therefore, as child- 
ren were required to be circumcised, as a "sealing ordi- 
nance," under the "Abrahamic Cov.enant," when cir- 
cumcision was abolished by the "New Covenant," bap- 
tism took its place. This is nowhere asserted or inti- 
mated in the Scriptures. 

If the substitution was intended, by divine Wisdom, 
to be made, it would have been announced by John the 
Baptist when he began his ministry and instituted 
baptism. 

"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly : neither is that circum- 
cision, which is outward in the flesh : but he is a Jew, which is one 
inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not 
in the letter ; whose praise is not of men but of God." Rom. ii, 28,29.. 

He made no such announcement; but, on the other 
hand, very emphatically denied that baptism could be 



28 CHURCH members' guide 

claimed on the ground of being the descendants of Abra- 
ham. '' But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sad- 
ducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, gen- 
eration of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the 
wrath to come? Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for re- 
pentance, and think not to say within yourselves, we 
have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God 
is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abra- 
ham." Matt. iii. 7, 9. 

This declaration is a clear denial that any can claim 
baptism on the ground that they are the children of 
pious parents, and as clear a statement that nothing hut 
repentance can ever be a ground for baptism. It seems 
that this declaration of John forbids the baptism of in- 
fants on the ground of their parents' faith. There is 
one more passage that seems to forbid it. When the 
eunuch said to Philip, ''See, here is water, what doth 
hinder me to be baptized?" Philip said, "If thou believ- 
est with all thine heart thou mayest." Acts viii. 37. 

If faith was not a condition precedent to baptism, why 
say its absence would "hinder" the baptism? Philip's 
reply was equivalent to saying, if you do not believe, you 
■cannot be baptized. 

Hence, any one who administers baptism to a person 
who does not or cannot profess faith violates the condi- 
tion which God has fixed to this ordinance. All those 
passages, already quoted, from St. Paul, about being 
buried with Christ in baptism and rising to walk in new- 
ness of life, are utterly inconsistent with infant baptism. 

But great stress is layed by the advocates of infant bap- 
tism on the instances of household baptisms mentioned 
in the Bible, and they infer that there must have been 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 29' 

infants in tnose households. There are only four instances 
of the kind mentioned in the Bible. Let us examine 
all. 

The account of the keeper of the prison at Philippi 
has already been cited for another purpose. Jt will be 
grouped with the other three. 

"Then called he for a light, and sprang in, and came 
trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas ; and 
brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be 
saved ? And they said. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake 
unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his 
house. And he took them the same hour of the night, 
and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all 
his, straightway. And when he had brought them into 
his nouse, he set meat before them, and rejoiced^ believing 
in God loith all his housed Acts xvi. 29-34. 

"A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of 
the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us : 
whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the 
things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was 
baptized, and her household, she besought us, sajnng, If 
ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into 
my house and abide there. And she constrained us." 
Acts xvi. 14, 15. 

"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, be- 
lieved on the Lord ivith all his house; and many of the- 
Corinthians. hearing, believed, and were baptized." 
Acts xviii. 8. 

" I beseech you, brethren (ye know the house of Ste- 
phanas, that it is the first fruits uf Achaia, and that 
they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the 



30 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

saints), that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to ev- 
ery one that helpeth with us, and laboreth." 1 Cor. 
xvi. 15. These are the only instances of household bap- 
tisms mentioned in the Bible. The ages of the members 
of these households are not given. But of the jailer's 
household it is stated, that all that were in his house 
listened to the word preached by Paul, and that the jailer 
"rejoiced," believing in God with all his house." Acts 
xvi. 34. 

Of the household of Crispus it is stated, that he be- 
lieved on the Lord icith all his house. In these two in- 
stances it is stated that the households believed. Of Ste- 
phanas' household it is stated, that " they addicted them- 
selves to the ministry oi the saints " (1 Cor. xvi. 15), show- 
ing that this household had no infants, for they all were 
large enough to do Christian work. 

In the case of Lydia's household, nothing is said after 
the announcement is made as to their baptism. Now 
all the rules of logic require that it be admitted, that if 
in three out of four cases a certain thing be predicated, 
and nothing said as to the fourth, that had anything 
been said, it would have been of the same character as 
that which was predicated of the three. That is, if any- 
thing had been said of Lydia's household, it would have 
been stated, as in the three other cases, that they " be- 
lieved," " rejoiced," or " addicted themselves to the min- 
istry of the saints." Thousands of households now liv- 
ing contain none too young to believe or to perform the 
duties of Christians. Again, those who favor infant bap- 
tism refer to the fact that Jesus said, " Suffer the little 
children to come unto me and forbid them not," as a 
Scripture in favor of infant baptism. In none of these 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 31 

instances does Jesus even allude to baptism. He simply 
^' put his hands on them and blessed them." 

Baptists, finding repentance and faith preceding bap- 
tism in every instance where it is mentioned in the 
Scriptures as administered to persons, and forbidden to 
those who claimed it on the ground that they weie the 
children of Abraham, believe it to be contrary to the 
word of God to administer it to unconscious babes, or to 
any person who does not make a credible confession of 
faith in Christ. 

They believe that all children who die in infancy — 
such children as " Jesus took in his arms " — are saved. 
This belief is basea upon the simple declaration of 
Jesus, "Then were there brought unto him little chil- 
dren, that he should put his hand on them and pray : 
and his disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer 
little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: 
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'^ Matt. xix. 13, 14. 
'' And he took a child and set him in the midst of them : 
and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto 
them, " Whosoever shall receive one of such children in 
my name receiveth me." Mark ix. 36, 37 ; chap. x. 13, 
14, 15. Luke ix, 48 ; chap, xviii. 15, 17. It will be 
■observed that Jesus says nothing about believing or be- 
ing baptized, but simply "of such is the kingdom of 
heaven." Taking the word of God alone as their guide, 
Baptists stop with this simpie declaration of Jesus, with- 
out offering any theory or attempting any explanation, 
believing that they are saved by the same " precious 
blood that cleanseth from all sin." 



32 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE LOED'S SUPPEE. 

Having proved by abundant Scripture that baptism is 
the immersion of a person who has been, first, pricked to 
the heart, repented of his sins and exercised saving faith 
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the administration 
of the ordinance to infants is contrary to the Word of 
God, the next logical step in the discussion is 

THE lord's supper. 

"Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the 
disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou 
that we prepare for thee to eat the passover ? And he 
said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him. 
The Master saith, My time is at hand ; I will keep the 
passover at thy house with my diciples. And the dis- 
ciples did as Jesus had appointed them ; and they made 
ready the passover. Now when even was come, he sat 
down with the twelve, and as they did eat, he said. Verily, 
I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And 
they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of 
them to say unto him. Lord is it I ? And he answered 
and said. He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish^ 
the same shall betray me. The son of man goeth a it is 
written of him, but woe unto that man b}^ whom the 
son of man is betra}^ed ! it had been good for that 
man if he had not been born. Then Judas which be- 
trayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I ? He 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 33 

said unto him, Thou hast said. And as they were eat- 
ing, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and 
gave it to the disciples, and said. Take eat; this is my 
body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave 
it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my 
biood of the new testament, which is shed for many, for 
the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not 
drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day 
when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. 
And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into 
the mount of Olives. Matt xxvi :17-30. 

''And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And 
they sat down and did eat. And he took the cup, and 
when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they 
all drank of it" — closing by singing an hymn as above. 
Mark xiv:17-26. 

''And when the hour was come, he sat down and the 
•twelve apostles with him." After the same order he ad- 
ministered the supper, then said, '.'This do in remem- 
brance of me." Luke xxii:14-19. 

St. John simply remarks, "Supper being ended," Jesus 
washed the disciples' feet. I have given the three ac- 
counts of the institution of the Supper. They are sub- 
stantially the same. All agree that the twelve were with 
him, and that no other persons were mentioned as being 
present. In other words, Jesus instituted the Lord's Sup- 
per and administered it to the "twelve apostles" alone, 
who at that time constituted the only organized body of 
C!hristians of which the Bible gives any account. Ad- 
dressing "the twelve," who had been baptized and or- 
ganized, he says, "Do this in remembrance of me." This 
•command extends to all bodies of Christians organized, 
3 



34 

as the apostles were, to be continued ''till he comes." The 
principle involved in all this is : 

1st. Men must repent of their sins and gladly receive 
the gospel message by faith in Jesus Christ as their 
Saviour. 

2nd. After confessing their sins they must be baptized. 

3rd. Then added to an organized body of Christians. 

4th. In this organized body partake of the Lord's Sup- 
per "in remembrance of Christ." 

There is no scriptural authority for administering the 
Lord's Supper to any but the regular organized bodies of 
Christians at a regularly appointed meeting. It is an 
ordinance instituted for the benefit of organized bodies of 
Christians after the exercise of saving faith, and cannot 
be used for communicating any saving ,o-race, and is 
perverted when used for this purpose. It has no saving 
power, but was simply intended as a memorial service to 
keep alive in the minds of Christians the Crucifixion, so 
that we may never lose sight of the fact that we are 
saved by the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ. The 
bread and wine are symbols, nothing more. To claim that 
they become the real flesh and blood of Christ, by any 
sort of manipulation, violates the simple statements of 
Scripture, as well as our own consciousness. Every per- 
son, in his senses, knows that the bread he eats is sim- 
pl}^ bread, nothing else, and the wine he drinks is wine,^ 
and nothing else. To believe otherwise is to ignore the 
testimony of his sight, taste and smell. 

Many young Christians are staggered and greatly per- 
plexed by the declaration of St. Paul, "Wherefore 
whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the 
Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 35 

of the Lord : for he that eateth and drinketh unworthi- 
ly, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself." 1 Cor. 
xi. 27-29. 

If such will read the eleventh chapter of 1st Corinth- 
ians with care, they will find that the apostle is calling 
the attention of the Corinthian Church to the perversion 
of the Supper, which prevailed among them. "For in 
eating, every one taketh before other his own supper, 
and one is hungry and another is drunken.''^ 1 Cor. xi. 21. 

When eaten in this loay, it is eating and drinking 
"unworthily." No one who depends upon the broken 
body and shed blood of Jesus as his only hope of salva- 
vation ever takes this commemorative supper "unwor- 
thily." The apostle says, "Let a man examine himself, 
and so let him eat of this bread and drink oi' this cttp." 

If, after examination, a man finds that he is leaning 
upon no other hope than that which is found in the sacri- 
fice which Christ has made for sinners, he need not fear 
that he will eat and drink unworthily. Nearly all young 
Christians, who join a Baptist Church, are troubled on 
the subject, of what is commonly called "Close Commu- 
nion." 



S6 CHURCH MEMBEHS' GUIDE 



CHAPTER VIII. 

"CLOSE COMMUNION." 

The uneasiness of young Christians on this subject 
arises from a misconception of the design of the ordinance, 
and the great outcry of other denominations against 
Baptists, as "exclusive and uncharitable." Let all such 
remember that it has been clearly proven from Scripture, 
that Jesus gave the bread and wine in the Supper only 
to "the twelve" disciples, who composed at that time, the 
only organized body of Christians of which any account 
is given in the Bible; that there were, at the time the 
Supper was instituted, very many other Christians in 
Jerusalem, it being the time of the passover; that if 
the Supper had been designed to show Christian love 
and fellowship for each other, every Christian in reach 
would have been called in and invited to participate ; 
that the only purpose assigned by the Saviour was, "as 
oft as ye do it in remembrance of me." It evidently was 
not a memorial of Christian love and fellowship, for Ju- 
das was one of "the twelve" to whom Jesus addressed the 
language, "drink ye all of it," while he said not one 
word about inviting other Christians to unite with them. 
He did not even invite his own mother and "brethren," 
who were at that time in Jerusalem. When we consider 
that he knew, and said, it was the last time that he 
would drink of the fruit of the vine with his disciples on 
earth, we are forced to the conclusion, that if love and 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 37 

Christian fellowship formed a part of the design of the 
Supper, he certainly would have called in his mother to 
participate in such a sweet memorial. 

Some may object that other denominations are organ- 
ized and profess to have Jesus as their head. It must be 
remembered that nearly all of these organizations re- 
ferred to believe that the Bible order requires that a per- 
son should be baptized before he can properly partake of 
the Lord's Supper. Baptists, in common with other 
sects, believe this, as stated in the above order given. 
Then the whole question turns upon baptism. 1 have 
shown that, taking the Bible statement alone, nothing is 
baptism but immersion of the whole body by a minister 
who believes and practices no other way of applying water. 
Examine the Scriptures already quoted on the subject of 
baptism, and see that nothing but immersion typifies a 
burial and resurrection; and that nothing but immer- 
sion was practiced by John the Baptist and by Philip 
and others. Baptists, taking the Bible alone as a guide, 
cannot believe that anything but immersion is baptism. 
Because many good and wise people say that any applica- 
tion of water will do for baptism does not make it so, 
for the Bible is clear in its statements, both with regard 
to the way in which it was performed and the design, 
namely, to keep in mind the death, burial and resurrec- 
tion of Christ. When therefore a Christian comes to the 
Lord's Supper, administered by Baptists, and claims the 
right to participate on the ground that water has been 
applied to him by sprinkling or pouring, Baptists reply, 
" We love you as a Christian man, but you have not 
been baptized, and therefore have not taken the neces- 
sary step before participation in the Lord's Supper ; and 



38 CHURCH members' guide 

in this we act upon the same principle that you do, 
namely, that the Bible requires a person to be baptized 
before taking the Lord's Supper." 

Any fair-minded man, who is capable of reasoning, will 
admit that Baptists, holding immersion to be the only 
baptism, and that it must precede participation in the 
Lord's Supper, cannot unite with Christians who substi- 
tute any other application of water without admitting 
the application to be valid baptism. If this admission is 
made, then as sensible men they would abandon immer^ 
sion for the more convenient and agreeable application. 
With the Bible as their only guide they cannot make 
the admission, and therefore cannot consistently unite 
with those Christians who do not hold to immersion of 
believers as the only gospel baptism. 

Many persons imagine that Baptists adhere to im- 
mersion because they prefer this mode. Not so. If God 
had given them the choice they would prefer the modes 
adopted by others. They practice immersion because 
they do not think that the Bibles allows anything else 
as baptism. Some Baptists occasionally say, "immersion 
is essential." No regular Baptist ever means that it is 
essential to salvation, for all believe that a person must 
be first saved before he ought to be baptized. When, 
therefore, a Baptist says immersion is essential, he simply 
means that it is essential to obedience to the command to 
be baptized. In other words, no one can obey the com- 
mand unless he is immersed. ' 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 39 



CHAPTER IX. 
OPEN COMMUNION BAPTISTS. 

There are Baptists who practice communion with 
other denominations at the Lord's Supper. These Bap- 
tists invite all those who wish to '' remember Christ/' 
whether they belong to any organized body of Christians 
or not. They hold that baptism does not necessarily go 
before the Lord's Supper. It will be seen that those de- 
nominations who complain of the exclusiveness of regu- 
lar Baptists do not admit that the principle upon which 
the open communion Baptists invite them is correct. 
They themselves would not invite persons to their com- 
munion upon this principle. All they invite must be 
members of a church, and to be members they must have 
been baptized by some one of the modes they practice. 

Regular Baptists never speak of modes of baptism, un- 
less it be different ways in which a person may be im- 
mersed. 



40 CHURCH members' gcjide 

CHAPTER X. 
FOOT WASHING. 

As many Baptists believe that the washing of feet is a 
command of Jesus to be observed in connection with the 
Lord's Supper, it is proper to discuss this subject in this 
place. I will give the exact teaching of the Bible on 
this subject. The majority of Baptists do not think 
that it forms any part with the observance of the Lord's 
Supper. Foot washing is only mentioned three times 
in the New Testament. 

1st. When the Pharisees found fault with Jesus for 
allowing Mary to anoint his feet in Simon's house, he 
said unto Simon, '' Seest thou this woman ? I entered 
into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet : 
but she hath washed mv feet with tears, and wiped 
them with the hairs of her head." Luke vii. 44. 

2nd. " Now before the feast of the passover, when Je- 
sus knew that his hour was come that he should depart 
out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own 
which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 
And supper being ended, the devil having now put into 
the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him ; 
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into 
his hands, and that he was come from God and went to 
God; herisethfrom supper, and laid aside his garments; 
and he took a towel, and girded himself. After that he 
poureth water into a basin and began to wash the disci- 
ples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 41 

he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter : and 
Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet ? 
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I dothouknow- 
est not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith 
unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus an- 
swered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with 
me. Simon Peter said unto him. Lord, not my feet 
only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to 
him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash hi& 
feet, but is clean every whit, and ye are clean, but not 
all. For he knew who should betray him ; therefore 
said he. Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed 
their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set 
down again, he said unto them. Know ye what I have 
done to you ? Ye call me Master and Lord : and ye 
say well ; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, 
have washed your feet ; ye also ought to wash one an- 
other's feet. For I have given ye an example, that ye 
should do as I have done to you.^ Verily, verily, I say 
unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; nei- 
ther he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. 
John xiii. 1-17. 

3rd. Paul says to Timothy, "Let not a widow be taken 
into the number under threescore years old, havingbeen 
the wife of one man, well reported of for good works ; if 
she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers,^ 
if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved 
the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good 
work." 1 Tim. v :9-10. 

In the first quotation it will be seen that Jesus looked 
upon foot-washing as an act of hospitality, for he upbraid- 



42 CHURCH members' guide 

ed Simon for neglecting to give him water for his feet. 
In the third quotation Paul classes washing feet with 
household duties, such as raising children, lodging stran- 
gers, etc. 

In connection with the second it is proper to notice the 
direction which Jesus gave his disciples who were sent 
ahead to prepare for the Supper. 

''And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith 
unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you 
A man bearing a pitcher of water, follow him. And 
wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the good man of the 
house. The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where 
I shall eat the passover with my disciples ? And he will 
show you a large upper room furnished and prepared ; 
there make ready for us." Mark xiv:13-15. 

1st. This house in which Jesus and his disciples met 
was a private house. The "good man of the house" was 
^sked to allow Jesus to use bis home for the purpose of 
instituting the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. 

2nd. The good man of the house showed the disciples 
the "guestchamber furnished and prepared." 

All this teaches that whatever was the usual method 
of preparing and furnishing a room for guests was done 
by this man. 

The Bible teaches that it was the custom of the times 
to furnish water to wash the feet of guests who came into 
the house. This "good man of the house" had not neg- 
lected this act of hosi)itality on this occasion ; for Jesus 
found the "towel with which he girdeth himself," and 
the "basin" into which he "poured the water." These 
articles were not carried to the place by the disciples, nor 
-did they ever find them, except at private houses in 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 43 

^'guestch ambers." In confirmation of this let us notice 
the only four places in the Old Testament where foot- 
washing is mentioned. ''And he said, Behold now, my 
lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and 
tarry all night, and wash your Jeet, and ye shalt rise up 
early, and go on your ways." Gen. xix :2. 

"Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash 
your feet and rest yourselves under the tree." Gen. 
xviii:4. 

''And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, 
and gave them water, and they washed their feet." Gen. 
xliii:24. 

"So he brought them into his house, and gave proven- 
der unto the asses; and they loashed their feet^ and did eat 
and drink." Judges xix:21. 

Now let us take the passage in John, in all its connec- 
tions, and see if the Lord intended the act which he did 
and enjoined upon his disciples, to be performed in con- 
nection with the administration of the Lord's Supper. 

1st. Matthew, Mark and Luke give minute accounts of 
the institution of the Lord's Supper, and neither one of 
them says one word about washing the disciples' feet. If 
the Saviour had intended that this exercise should be 
connected with the Supper, would not these three writers, 
"who wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," 
have, every one of them, spoken of it and enjoined it in 
as strong language as John did ? 

Again, John does not give an account of the Supper, 
but simply says : " Supper being ended, he riseth," 
etc. All of John's language, which follows ''supper be- 
ing ended," shows he did not intend to make foot-wash- 



44 CHURCH members' guide 

ing a part of the exercise at the administration of the 
Lord's Supper. 

Once more: If Jesus had so intended, it is very cer- 
tain that St. Paul, when describing and giving direction 
concerning the Supper, would not have omitted foot- 
washing. 

Now turn to his account given in 1 Cor. x:16-20, and 
1 Cor. xi:20-30, and it will be found that he does not 
allude to foot-washing in either place, but simply gives 
the same account of the Supper, and its purpose, as 
MaUhew, Mark and Luke did. 

Notice also what is recorded of those who were bap- 
tized and added to the Church on the day of Pentecost. 
"As they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine- 
and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." 
Acts ii:42. 

Here breaking of bread alludes to the Lord's Supper, 
but not the most distant allusion to washing feet. I 
have given all that the Bible says about "foot-washing." 
Its entire teaching is found in seven verses or quotations. 
Four in the Old Testament and three in the New. In every 
instance it was performed in a private house. In the case 
where Jesus washed the disciples' feet, it was done in a^n- 
^?a<e Aowse in a "guestchamber furnished and prepared." 

Now take these facts in connection with the fact that 
none of the writers of the New Testament, who describe 
or speak of the Lord's Supper, say one word about wash- 
ing feet in connection with the ordinance, and we must 
conclude that the Holy Spirit never intended "that foot- 
washing" should be performed in connection with the 
Lord's Supper, or in public. 

Every Christian householder will have, during his life, 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 45 

opportunities to perform this duty enjoined by the Sa- 
viour. Whenever a brother who may be your guest needs 
to have his feet washed, and you are moved to follow 
Jesus' "example," wash them yourself. I have known 
brethren at Associations, when thrown together in a 
"guestchamber," to black each other's boots in imitation 
of Jesus' "example" of humiliation. 



46 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XI. 
BISHOPS OR PASTORS. 

The only officers of a regularly organized Church,, 
about which the Word of God gives specific directions, are 
bishops, elders or pastors, and deacons. First, then, let us 
see what the Bible says about bishops. It has already 
been shown by the condition put by Peter (when acting 
as a mouth-piece for God upon the qualification of the 
apostle who was to be elected by the hundred and twenty 
that composed the first organized Church after the as- 
cension of Jesus), that no man could possess those quali- 
fications ajter that generation had passed away ; and there- 
fore there cannot, in the very nature of the case, be any 
"Apostolic Succession." Hence in writing to the Churches, 
Paul does not connect their administration with apostles^ 
but alone with "bishops and deacons." 

In the epistle to the Philippians he says, "Paul and 
Timotheus, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in 
Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and 
deacons; grace be unto you, and peace, from God our 
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my 
God upon every remembrance of you, always in every 
prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for 
your felloivship in the gospel from the first day until now." 
Phil. i:l. 

In his epistle to Titus, hs says, "For this cause Uft I 
thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 47 

that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I 
had appointed thee . If any be blameless, the husband of 
one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or 
unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of 
God." Titus i. 5-7. Peter says, "The elders which are 
among you I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness 
of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the 
glory which shall be revealed : Feed the flock of God 
which is among you, taking the ovei sight thereof, not 
by constraint, but willingly : not for filthy lucre, but of 
a ready mind; neither as being lords over Goa's heritage, 
but being ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief 
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory 
that fadeth not away." 1 Peter v. 1-4. 

Paul sent for the elders of the Church at Ephesus, and 
said to them, "Take heed therefore unto 3'ourselves, and 
to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made 
you overseers" (bishops), "to feed the Church of God, 
which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts xx. 
28. 

Every careful reader of these texts of Scripture will 
notice that elder and bishop are used interchangeably, 
and both referred to as shepher^Js or, pastors. 

In the epistle to the Church at Philippi, Paul speaks 
of bishops and deacons as in common fellowship with 
the Church. In the epistle to Titus, he speaks first of 
ordaining elders, and begins to enumerate the qualifica- 
tions of an elder, and then says, "For a bishop must be 
blameless as the steward of God." He evidently, in this 
place, makes bishop and elder the same person. Peter, in 
speaking of elders, says, "Feed the flock of God which is 
among you, taking the oversight thereof." He makes it 



48 CHUKCH members' guide 

the duty of an elder to feed, which is the duty of a pastor 
or shepherd, and then to take the oversight, which is the 
duty of an overseer or bishop. The closing part of the 
text quoted makes it still clearer when he says, ''Being 
ensamples to the flock, and when the Chief Shepherd shall 
appear." 

Baptists therefore believe, from the plain teaching of 
the Bible, that the only administering officer in a Christ- 
ian Church is pastor, who may be termed indifferently 
bishop or elder, all three exercising the same duties, 
feeding the flock, ''over which the Holy Ghost hath 
made them overseers." 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 49' 



CHAPTER XII. 

(PREACHING ) ' 

While it is the special duty of the pastor, elder or 
bishop to preach the gospel, Baptists believe that tho 
Bible teaches, very plainly, that every Christian man 
has the right to preach Christ to lost sinners. After the 
death of Stephen, it is said, ''And they were all scattered 
abroad, throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, 
EXCEPT the apostles." Acts, viii 1. 

''Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every- 
where preaching the word. Then Philip went down tO' 
the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them." 
Acts viii. 4, 5. 

Please notice that "all except the apostles were scat- 
tered abroad, and all preached the word." 

The apostles were those ordained regularly to preach, 
and they remained in Jerusalem, but those not ordained 
''went everywhere preaching the word." 

Philip and Stephen, two who were ordained deacons/ 
whose duty it was " to serve tables" (while the apostles, 
the regularly ordained preachers, gave themselves con- 
tinually to prayer and the ministry of the word), preach- 
ed the word with great power and effect. John winds up 
the Bible with this remarkable sentence, " And the 
Spirit and the bride say. Come. And let him that hear- 
eth say, Come." Rev. xxii. 17. 

Here it will be observed that ev^ery one who heareth 
4 



so CHURCH members' GUIDE 

is invited to publish the gospel message, while every one 
has a right to preach Christ to a lost world ; only such as 
are set apart as elders have a right to administer the or- 
dinances of the Church. Paul says, "Notwithstan4ing 
every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is 
^preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." 
Phil. i. 18. 

It is right for everyone to recommend Christ to sinners. 
This is preaching the gospel. We frequently hear of a 
Church "licensing a preacher." There is no warrant for 
this phraseology. It is the duty of every Church to en- 
courage young men among their number to exercise the 
gift which God has given them, and to encourage the 
timid to speak for Jesus. 

If, therefore, a young man feels that God has called 
him to preach the gospel, and become a regular minister, 
the Church would very properly pass a resolution to the 
effect that, "We encourage the young brother (named) 
to exercise his gifts in preaching," and when he has 
proven himself a good minister of Jesus Christ, and 
some Church elects him as their pastor, the Church to 
which he belongs ought to summon a presbytery of 
preachers to ordain him, and thus set him apart to the 
gospel ministry. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 51 



CHAPTER XIII. 
CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 

Every true minister of the gospel is called of God. 
-"Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, through 
■the will of God." 1 Cor. i. 1. 

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any- 
thing of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God, who 
hath made us able ministers of the New Testament." 2 
Cor. iii. 5, 6. Chap. v. 18. 

"And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he 
that is called of God, as was Aaron." Heb. v. 4. 

'"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apos- 
tle, separated unto the gospel of God." Rom. i. 1. Chap 
:xv. 15, 16. 

"Whereof I was made a minister, according to the 
gift of the grace of God, given unto me by the effectual 
working of his power." Eph. iii. 7. Gal. i. 15, 17. 

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled 
me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into tlie 
juinistry." 1 Tim. i. 12. 

"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to 
glory of, for necessity is laid upon me ; yea, woe is unto 
me if I preach not the gospel." 1 Cor. ix. 16. 

QUALIFICATIONS OF MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL. 

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive ; but be 
rgentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness 



53 CHUECH members' GUIDE 

instructing those who oppose themselves." 2 Tim. ii. 
24, 25. 

" For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the 
Lord ; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For 
God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, 
hath shined in our hearts ; to give the light of the 
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the 
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'^ 
2 Cor. iv. 5-7. 

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with 
excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you 
the testimony of God. For I determined not to know 
anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him cruci- 
fied. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in 
much trembling. And my speech and my preaching 
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in 
demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith 
sliould not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power 
of God." 1 Cor. ii. 1-5. It will be remembered that St. 
Paul was an educated man. Such language : as the 
above Scriptures contain should have great weight with 
all educated ministers. The tendency ot the age is for 
cultured preachers to '^ Keep abreast of the times." No 
religious thought ought to '' advance " beyond the 
thought of Jesus and Paul. It was said of Jesus that 
'• the common people heard him gladly." Mark xii. 37. 
This can be said of very few cultured preachers of the 
present day. Quit your metaphysics in the pulpit, and 
' commend yourselves to every man's conscience in the- 
sight of God." 2 Cor. iv. 2. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 53 

*' For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the 
•counsel of God." Acts xx. 27. 

" For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of 
Ood ; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, 
no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hos- 
pitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate ; 
holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught, 
that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort 
and to convince the gainsayers." Titus i. 7-9. *' More- 
over he must have a good report of them which are with- 
out ; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." 
1 Tim. 3-7. 



54 CHURCH members' 



CHAPTER XIV. 
DUTIES OF PASTORS. 

We have seen that bishop and elder are terms used in^ 
terchangeably in Scripture, both meaning an overseer of 
a flock. Pastor is the title when in charge of a particu- 
lar flock or church. His duties are well djefined in the-^ 
Scriptures, " Feed the flock of God which is among you, 
taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but will- 
ingly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; neither 
as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples 
to the flock." 1 Peter V. 2,3; Jer. iii. 15. When the 
apostle called the multitude of the disciples together for 
the purpose of electing seven deacons, they said, " But 
we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the 
ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole 
multitude." Acts vi. 4,5. Paul said to Timothy, " Med- 
itate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, 
that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto 
thyself, and unto the doctrine ; continue in them; for in 
doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that 
hear thee." 1 Tim. iv. 15, 16. " Flee also youthful lusts ; 
but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them 
that call on the Lord out of a pure heart, but foolish and 
unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gen- 
der strifes." 2 Tim. ii. 22. 

" 0, Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy 
trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings and opposi- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 55 

tions of science, falsely so-called: which some profess- 
ing have erred concerning the faith." 1 Tim. vi. 20, 21. 

These Scriptures are enough to prove that it is the duty 
of pastors to improve themselves by study, meditation 
and prayer, " that their profiting may appear to all." 
Next come the duties imposed upon pastors as shep- 
herds of a flock. " Woe be unto the pastors that destroy 
and scatter the sheep of my pasture ! saith the Lord 
Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the 
pastors that feed my people ; ye have scattered my flock 
and driven them away, and have not visited them; be- 
hold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith 
the Lord." Jer. xxiii. 1, 2. 

"The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have 
ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound 
up that which was broken, neither have ye brought 
again that which was driven away, neither have ye 
sought that which was lost; but with force and with 
cruelty have ye ruled them." Ezek. xxxiv. 4-12 ; Zech. xi. 
15-17. 

" The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 
John X. 11. 

There are abundant scriptures that allude to the pas- 
tor as an under shepherd, Jesus Christ being the Chief 
Shepherd. The duties of a shepherd, therefore, are bib- 
lical types of the duties of a pastor. The pastor must 
avoid that course which the prophets, Jeremiah andEze- 
kiel, denounced in the passages quoted from them, and 
do those things which these pastors alluded to in tha 
above passages failed to do. They " destroyed and scat- 
tered the flock," or "ruled them with force and cruelty.'^ 
The good pastor will gather and deal kindly with the- 



56 CHURCH members' guide 

iflock. They failed to visit the flock and to strengthen 
'the diseased, and to heal that which was sick, to bind up 
that which was broken, to bring back that which was 
driven away, and did not seek that which was lost. The 
good pastor will not fail in any of these implied duties. 
The watchful shepherd knows his flock, and notices 
when one is missing from the fold. He hunts the miss- 
ing ones to find out what disaster had prevented them 
from coming to the fold. 

If this duty is neglected, many members of the Church 
IV ill lie out of the fold from habit, feeling that no one 
cares for their souls. That pastor who can make the 
house of worship attractive, and has so gotten the hearts 
of his members as to make them his friends, will find 
little difliculty in making all truly regenerated ones take 
some active part in Church work. 



FOE BAPl?IST CHURCHES. 57 



CHAPTER XV. 
SELECTION OF PASTORS. 

Much of the success of a Church depends upon the 
proper selection of pastors. Of course every Church will 
pursue the plan adopted by the " hundred and twenty," 
when they selected Matthias by lot. The members will 
come together in one place with one accord. Acts ii. 1. 

"And all continue with one accord in prayer and sup" 
plication with the women." Acts i. 14 

Such preachers as may be thought to possess the qual- 
ifications above recited from the Bible will be nominated 
as Justus and Matthias were. After this the Church will 
engage in prayer, as the hundred and twenty did, asking 
Qod "to show whether of those nominated he had chosen." 
Acts i. 24. Then, as this same hundred and twenty did 
let the members present " cast their lots," or vote, and he 
upon whom the lot falls, or who obtains the majority, will 
be the pastor selected in God's appointed way. 

Nothing but a sincere desire to advance the cause of 
God. which is " pure religion and undefiled before God and 
the Father" (James i. 27), should control the vote of any 
member of any Church. 

That man who will most likely be able to reach the 
minds and hearts of those who will probably compose 
the congregation to which he is to preach should be 
selected. 

When selected the Church is bound for his support. 



58 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XVI. 
DEACONS. 

When the twelve discovered that the business of dis^ 
tributing the contributions to the poor saints occupied 
too much of their time, " Then the twelve called the 
multitude of the disciples unto them and said. It is not 
reason that we should leave the word of God and serve 
tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven 
men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wis- 
dom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we 
will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the min- 
istry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole 
multitude; and they chose Stephen^ a man full of faith and of 
the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, 
and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte of 
Antioch, whom they set before the apostles ; and when 
they had prayed they laid their hands on them, and the 
word of God increased, and the number of disciples mul- 
tiplied in Jerusalem greatly ; and a great company of the 
priests were obedient to the faith." Acts vi. 1-7. 

It will be remembered that the twelve apostles did not 
select the deacons, but the multitude of the disciples com- 
posing the church at Jerusalem " chose'^ them and " set 
them before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands- 
upon them.'-' 

Thus these men were set apart, by ordination, for the 
work of aiding the apostles so that they might " give^ 



FOK BAPTIST CHURCHES. 59 

themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the 
word." 

Baptist Churches have done this very thing in this very 
way down to the present day. 

When deacons are needed in any Church, the multi- 
tude of disciples composing that Church " choose" such 
men as they believe come up to the character required 
by the apostles speaking for God, and set them before 
ministers acting as the apostles did. They pray and 
lay their hands upon the deacons' heads, and thus ordain 
them for the work required. 

If it should be demanded of any Baptist to state where 
and when were Baptist Churches organized, it will be 
a sufficient answer to say : 

1st. That Baptist Churches of to-day, as they have 
always done, elect a pastor precisely as the '- hundred 
and twenty" disciples elected Matthias, when gathered 
together a few days after the ascension of Jesus Christ. 

2d. That they receive members precisely on the same 
principle and exactly in the same order that members 
were " added" on the day of Pentecost. 

3d. That when deacons are needed, the multitude of 
members composing the Church gather together and elect 
and set them before ministers, who ordain them just as 
the multitude of disciples that composed the Church at 
Jerusalem gathered together and elected seven men of 
honest report and set them before the apostles, who or- 
dained them for the special work that they were required 
to do. 

4th. That when one brother trespasses against another 
the offended one is required to take the steps directed by 
Christ in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew to bring. 



60 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

about a reconciliation. If he fails in this he then tells 
it to the Church, which, of course, must be a local organ- 
ization, else it could not hear the complaint. 

5th. That in the case of a public offender, such as the 
man who committed incest in the Church at Corinth, 
when the members of the Church "are gathered to- 
gether" the}^ " put away from among them that wicked 
person," just as the Church at Corinth did. When the 
offender repents, lest he " be swallowed up of overmuch 
sorrow," the same Church that excluded, restores him, as 
in the case of the Church at Corinth. The action in this 
•case was final. Hence Baptists acknowledge no higher 
court of appeal. 

6th. That the Church at Antioch sent out missionaries, 
who, on their return, "gathered the Church together and 
rehearsed what God had done by them." Baptist Churches 
hold that each one of them can do the same thing. Here 
is a complete organization of Baptist Churches. Every 
step taken is in strict accordance with the pattern set 
them by the primitive Churches, as recorded in the New 
Testament. 

7th. If it be further demanded to state why Baptists 
do not invite other Christians to partake with them of 
the Lord's Shipper, it will be sufficient to say : That when 
Jesus instituted the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, he 
gave the symbols of the broken body and shed blood 
only to the twelve apostles, who composed, at that time, 
the only organized body of Christians on earth. He did 
not invite any others, although there were many Chris- 
tians all around him at the time — Christians who had 
been immersed upon a profession of faith in him, but 
had not been organized. He did not even invite his 



FOR BAPTIST CHUKCHES. 61 

own mother to participate in this last touching memorial. 
These twelve apostles had repented and been immersed 
to show forth his burial and resurrection before they^ 
were organized, and had been organized before they re- 
ceived the Lord's Supper. 

Baptibts hold this order, established by the Saviour, to 
be essential to perfect obedience. 

DUTY OF DEACONS. 

The first mention made of deacons after the above 
account is in Philippians i. 1, where Paul addressed the 
epistle, " To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at 
Philippi, with the bishops and deacons." Next, in the 
epistle to Timothy, after enumerating the qualifications 
of bishops, the Apostle Paul says : " Likewise must the 
deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much 
wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of 
the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first 
be proved ; then let them use the office of deacon, being 
found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave? 
not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the 
deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their chil- 
dren and their own houses well. 

For they that have used the office of a deacon well, 
purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness 
in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. iii. 8-13, 

The similarity of qualifications in the deacon to those 
of pastor or bishop would lead us to infer that he should 
perform many duties which the pastor would perform if 
there was no deacon. Let us now sum up the qualifica- 
tions of a deacon as given in the Bible. 

1st. He is to be honest. 2d. Full of the Holy Ghost. 



«62 CHURCH members' guide 

3d. Wise. 4th. Grave. 5th. Not double-tongued. 6th. 
Not given to much wine. 7th. Not greedy of filthy 
lucre. Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure con- 
science. 9th. The husband of one wife. 10th. Ruling 
his children and his own house well. 

FIRST. 

Honesty imposes the duty of keeping a strict account 
of all funds belonging to the Church, which pass through 
his hands, appropriating them according to the wishes 
of the Church. 

SECOND. 

" Full of the Holy Ghost " imposes the duty of 
Christ like behavior, so that all who see him may take 
knowledge of him that he has been with Jesus. To be 
alwaj^s in such a frame of mind and heart as to be able 
to minister comfort to those who are in any trouble, and 
to win the wayward back to Christ. 

THIRD. 

" Wisdom " imposes the duty of prudence and discre- 
tion in paying out funds in his hands to proper objects, 
where the Church may direct him to use his own discre- 
tion. To be guarded in what he says, and skillful in 
the management of all disputes in which, like Stephen, 
he may be involved, so that the cause of his master may 
not suffer in his hands. To deal properly with all mem- 
bers who may offend against the laws of God, and thereby 
become subject to the discipline of the Church. To be 
instrumental, in the most effectual way, in healing 
breaches between brethren, and in this way " purchase 
to himself a good degree, and great boldness in the faith. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 63 

FOURTH. 

"Gravity" imposes the duty of impressing all who 
see him that he has a just appreciation of the worth of 
souls, and that he is always sensible of his individual re- 
sponsibility to God, who has called him to the office of 
deacon. 

FIFTH. 

"Not double tongued " imposes the duty of speaking 
the same things before a man's face as he does behind 
his back, — of being like his Master, in whose lips there 
was no guile,— of studying and faithfully obeying the 
injunctions of the Apostle James in the third chapter 
of his epistle. 

SIXTH. 

''Not giv^en to much wine." This qualification im- 
poses the duty of temperance. If he drinks wine at all 
he must be moderate in its use, so as never to be under 
any of its bad influences. He must use it so that no one 
would become intemperate from his example. 

SEVENTH. 

"Not greedy of filthy lucre." This imposes the duty 
of so managing his business as to avoid the charge that 
he has cheated or defrauded any one. 

It forbids "hasting to be rich," or adopting methods 
of making money which will tempt him to overlook the 
interest of others. Money becomes "filthy lucre" when 
obtained by improper means, or hoarded for money's 
sake. It further imposes the duty of " abounding in the 
grace of giving," and clearly indicates that he should 
take the lead in giving liberally, consistently and regu- 
larly. It clearly indicates that he should hold his 



64 CHURCH members' guide 

possessions subject to the drafts which the cause of Christ 
makes upon them, and encourage, by example, all the 
members of his Church to give '' as the Lord hath pros- 
pered them," and to give cheerfully. 

EIGHTH. 

"Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." 
This imposes the duty of studying the Word of God so 
constantly, so carefully and so prayerfully that he may 
become "rooted and grounded" in that great mystery of 
godliness of which the Apostle Paul speaks in the 16th 
verse of the chapter from which these qualifications are 
taken. He should be able to present the truths of the 
Bible in such a way that "the hearts of all the members of 
the Church might be comforted, being knit together in 
love and into all riches of the lull assurance of understand- 
ing, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of 
the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treas- 
ures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. ii. 2, 3. 

KINTH. 

"The husband of one wife." This imposes the dut}^ of 
conjugal fidelity to only one woman, and thus by his ex- 
ample to rebuke polygamy in all its forms. 

TENTH. 

"Ruling his children and his own house well." This 
last qualiication imposes the duty of so controlling his 
children as to "train them up in the nurture and ad- 
monition of the Lord." If he should have children dis- 
posed to be vicious, his dut}- requires him to "chasten 
them betimes," and not like Eli, wink at their wicked- 
ness until they get beyond his control. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 65 

In attending to this great duty, he needs the third 
quality, "Wisdom," to guide him, so that he may obtain 
an irresistible moral influence over his children, which 
will insure certain success in their training. This quali- 
fication extends not only to his children, but to ''his 
house," including all who usually constitute a family. 

It will direct his attention to all that part of God's 
Word which contains specific directions in the relations 
of husband and wife, master and servant. 

If a deacon possess all these qualifications, he will have 
that "pure religion and undefiled before God and the 
Father, and will visit the fatherless and widow in their 
distress, and keep himselt unspotted from the world." 

The first duty imposed upon the deacons, when first 
elected b}' the Church at Jerusalem, was to "serve tables." 
The necessity for their appointment came out of the 
fact that "there arose a murmuring of the Grecians 
against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglec- 
ted in the daily ministration." Acts vi. 1. 

Contributions were made by the early disciples "who 
sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all 
men as every man had need." Acts ii, 45. 

These liberal contributions, up to this time, had been 
distributed by the apostles ; but when complaints were 
made, "the twelve called the multitude of the disciples 
unto them and said. It is not reason that we should 
leave the Word of God and serve tables. Therefore^ 
brethren, look ye out among i/oit seven men of honest re- 
port, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may 
appoint over this business." Acts vi. 2, 3. 

It will be seen that the first duty imposed upon dea- 
cons was to attend to the wants of the poor. While 



66 CHURCH members' guide 

Baptists have always insisted upon a rigid adherence to 
the directions of the word of God, they have, in a great 
measure, neglected the poor of the churches. Many 
Baptist churches contend that this was the only purpose 
for which money was raised in the primitive churches. 
These very churches, while paying nothing for missions, 
and very little to pastors, almost entirely neglect the 
regular contributions to the poor. Christ said, " For ye 
have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will 
ye may do them good." Mark xiv. 7. 

" For the poor shall never cease out of the land ; there- 
fore I command thee, saying, thou shalt open thy hand 
wide unto thy brother, to thy poor and to thy needy in 
thy land." Deut. xv. 11. 

Very few deacons seem to feel that attention to the 
poor is a part of their duty, when it was the very duty 
for which deacons were first appointed. In almost every 
church there are poor members who are so situated as to 
need assistance at times. A sister may be a widow and 
an invalid with children dependent upon her. A brother 
may be bedridden, so that he cannot work for those de- 
pendent upon him, and his wife maybe so very much en- 
grossed with the duty of attending to him as to be una- 
ble to do aught for their support. Deacons should 
look out such cases and call the attention of the Church 
to them. Nearly all Christians, in Churches composed of 
regenerated members, will respond cheerfully to such 
calls. A reform in this particular is very much needed 
in our Churches. The duty of deacons to look after the 
pastor's salary will be noticed under ministerial sup- 
port. Many Churches only have meetings for public 
worship once a month. It will be remembered that 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 67 

Stephen, one of the seven deacons, "stood up against the 
Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians^ and they 
were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by 
which he spake. Acts vi. 9, 10. 

Philip, "one of the seven" (Acts xxi. 8), preached Je- 
sus to the eunuch. The Scriptures give no account of 
any other ordination than that they received when the 
apostles laid their hands upon them. Acts vi. 6. 

These examples would indicate that deacons might aid 
pastors in other ways besides attending to the poor and 
the wants of the pastor. When practicable, there ought 
to be religious services in every Church on every Sab- 
bath. (I have discussed this point elsewhere.) 

If the church cannot have preaching every Sabbath, 
the deacons ought to meet with the membership, and 
hold some kind of religious services. 

Prayer-meetings, accompanied with experience talks, 
and Sabbath-schools for the children, would prove very 
edifying to the church. It sometimes happens that by 
some providential interference , the pastor fails to get 
to his appointment. The fact may not be known 
until the congregation collects in the house. The meet- 
ing ought not to be a failure. The deacons should take 
steps to have some acts of worship performed, and not 
allow the congregation to disperse without any worship. 
This is more important in country than in town or city 
<churches. 



68 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XVII. 
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT. 

In the first settlement of this country (America),, 
preachers were few in number, and it was found that 
there were more organized Baptist Churches than preach- 
ers; hence, in order for all the Churches to have preach- 
ing, one preacher was obliged to preach only one Sabbatk 
in a month to each Church, not because the Scriptures 
so directed, but because nothing better, under the cir- 
cumstances, could be done. Now let us see what the 
Bible teaches about the frequency with which the disci- 
ples of Jesus ought to worship God in a public assembly. 

"And it came to pass while he," (Jesus,) "blessed them^ 
he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.. 
And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with 
great joy. And were continually in the temple, 
PRAISING and BLESSING GoD." Lukc xxiv. 51-53. 

*'And they, continuing daily with one accord in thfr 
temple^ and breaking bread from house to house, did eat 
their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Prais- 
ing God, and having favor with all people, and the Lord 
added to the Church daily such as should be saved." Acts 
ii. 46, 47. 

"For Moses of old time hath in every city them that 
preach him, being read in the synagogue every Sabbath 
day^ Acts xv. 21. "Yet the voices of the prophets 
which are read every Sabbath day." Acts xiii. 27» 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 69 

^'And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples 
oame together to break bread, Paul preached unto them." 
Acts xx:7. It will be seen from these Scriptures that the 
primitive Christians met not less than once a week, but 
at first daily, for public worship. 

There is not a sentence of Scripture which directs, or 
even intimates, that any Church in the beginning met 
only once a month for public worship. 

From the circumstances surrounding the first settlers 
of this country, Baptists got into the habit of meeting 
only once a month for preaching, and have continued 
the habit so long, that many old members seem to think 
it would be an innovation upon Baptist principles to 
•change and meet every Sabbath day. These same breth- 
ren are great sticklers for the fundamental principle of 
taking "the word of God as the only rule of faith and 
practice." 

Search the Bible, brethren, and see if you can find any 
warrant for meeting only once a month. 

The Bible clearly teaches that every Church ought to 
meet every Sabbath day for public worship. The Lord 
Jesus Christ gives a clear rule by which the scarcity of 
preachers can be remedied. "The harvest truly is plen- 
teous, bat the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the 
Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into 
his harvest." Matt. ix. 37, 38. 

Every Church should have a pastor who should preach 
to that Church every Sabbath at least. " As his custom 
was he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and 
stood up for to read." Luke iv. 16. I have already 
shown from the Bible that there is no warrant for once-a- 
month preaching, but that it is the duty of every Church 



70 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

to meet for worship every Sabbath day. Now, let us see- 
what the Bible says about every Church having its own 
elder or pastor. 

" And when they had ordained them elders in evert 
Church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended 
them to the Lord, on whom they believed." Acts xiv. 
23. Titus i. 5. We have seen that the Bible teaches that 
every Church should elect its own pastor, who should 
meet the Church at least on every Sabbath. Next, let 
us see what the Bible directs with regard to the support 
of pastors. The apostles said, " We will give ourselves 
continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 
Acts vi. 4. Paul says to Timothy, " No man that warreth 
entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he 
may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.'' 
2 Tim. ii. 4. 

Again he says to the same young preacher, '' Meditate 
upon these things ; give thyself wholly to them that 
thy profiting may appear to all." 1 Tim. iv. 15. 

All who read the New Testament will see that while 
Jesus was on the earth he and his disciples went about 
from place to place, sometimes holding their meetings in 
temples and synagogues, but more frequently by the sea 
shore and on the mountains. They followed no business 
by which they made a support, but they had a treasurer? 
who carried the bag and that which was put therein r 
that " many" ministered to him of their substance. 
(Luke viii. 1, 3) ; that they had money to " buy such 
things as they had need of." John viii. 29. 

After Jesus ascended the disciples said, ^' We will give 
ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the 
Word." These Scriptures plainly teach that the preacher 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 71 

should devote his entire time to the ministry of the 
Word. This is the true spirit of God's Word, although 
Paul, who announced this principle, did, for reasons 
which he explained, give up his right as a minister and 
preferred to work with his own hands rather than run 
the risk of hindering the gospel of Christ. He says. " If 
we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great 
thing if we shall reap your carnal things ? If others be 
partakers of this power over you, are not ive rather^ 
Nevertheless, we have not used this power ; but suffer all 
things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ." 

Just after this declaration he says, " Even so hath the 
Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should 
live of the gospel. 1 Cor. iv. 11-17. He had said, 
" Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to for- 
bear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at 
his own charges ? Who planteth a vineyard and eateth 
not of the fruit thereof? Or, who feedeth a flock and 
eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things 
as a man ? or saith not the law the same also ? For it is 
written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the 
mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God 
take care for oxen ? Or saith he it altogether for our 
sakes ? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written : that 
he that ploweth should plow in hope, and he that 
thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope." 
1 Cor. ix. 6-10. The argument of the apostle is con- 
clusive that he that preaches the gospel has a right to 
claim a support from those who receive his ministration. 

But on this point the Bible is particularly rich in its 
teaching, and as so many Baptists have misconceptions on 
this part of God's Word, I wull give more of its teach- 



"72 CHURCH members' guide 

ings. "Let him that is taught in the word communicate 
unto him that teach eth in all good things." Gal. vi. 6. 

"Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that 
you might be exalted, because I have preached to you 
the gospel of God freely ? I robbed other churches, 
taking wages of them to do you service." 2 Cor. xi. 7-10. 
" But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last 
your care of me hath flourished again ; wherein ye were 
^Iso careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak 
in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state 
I am therewith to be content. Notwithstanding ye have 
ivell done that ye did communicate with my affliction, 
^ow, ye Philippians, know also that in the beginning of 
the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no Church 
communicated with me as concerning giving and receiv- 
ing, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once 
and again unto ray necessity. Not because I desire a 
gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account — 
n sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God." Philip, iv. 
10--18. 2 Cor. 1--16. Matt. x. 9-13. 

No member of a Baptist Church, who wishes to do his 
full duty, can read these Scriptures and not feel that he 
violates God's command if he does not aid, to the extent 
of his ability, in the support of the pastor of the Church 
to which he belongs. It is established from Scripture 
that the pastor must be supported by the Church to 
which he preaches. How can this be done so that none 
will be " burdened" while others are " eased'' but that 
there shall be equality?" 2 Cor. viii. 13, 14. 

It has been the experience of almost every Church 
that a few liberal members bear all the burden of min- 
isterial support. This is an evil that ought to be cor- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 73 

rected. It never will be fully remedied, because as long 
as the world stands there will be members received in the 
Churches on profession of faith, but, like Simon Magus, 
they are in the " gall of bitterness and the bond of in- 
iquity." They join for the benefit to be derived from 
being associated with Christian people, without any 
sympathy with their spiritual character. Many good 
Christians fail to do their duty in this matter of giving 
on account of mistaken views of God's word. And many 
others who are poor are too proud to make the very small 
contributions which their circumstances will warrant. 

This evil can only be corrected when every true Chris- 
tian will learn that Christian giving is a " grace." 

"Moreover, brethren, we do you to-wit of the grace of 
God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia ; how that 
in a great trial of afflictiou the abundance of their joy 
and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their 
liberality. For to their power I bear record, yea, and 
beyond their power they were willing of themselves j 
pra^ung us with much entreaty that we would receive 
the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the minister- 
ing to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, 
but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us 
by the will of God. Insomuch that we desired Titus, 
that as he had begun so he would finish in you the same 
grace also. Therefore, as ye abound in ever}/ thing in 
faith and utterance and knowledge, and in all diligence, 
and in your love to us see that you abound in this grac^. 
also." 2 Cor. viii. 1-8. This Scripture has a direct refer- 
ence to contributions to the poor, but we have seen from 
-Scriptures quoted, as to support of those who preach the 
gospel, that those who had been taught ought to com- 



74 CHURCH members' guide 

municate unto him that teacheth in all good things^ 
That is, we ought to have nothing too good to share with 
our preacher. The principle announced above applies to 
all giving for religious purposes. 

Paul teaches that the giving of the poor Churches of 
Macedonia for the relief of the poor brethren proceeded 
from love, which produced "abundance of joy," though 
the}^ themselves were in "deep poverty;" that they 
went " beyond their ability in their liberality." 

There is not a Church in the United States which is 
probably so poor as Paul represents the Churches of Mac- 
edonia to have been. Love lies at the bottom of all 
Christian giving. People are willing to pay out money 
for what they love, and the amount they are willing to 
pay is generally a measure of their love for that object. 
When the pouring the ointment upon the leet of Jesus 
by Mary in Simon's house was objected to because it was 
so costly, Jesus said, " She loveth much." Mark xvi. 1; 
Mark xiv. 3-9; Matt. xxvi. 10, 11; Luke vii. 47.^ 

Paul said to the Corinthians that their giving was de- 
sired to " prove the sincerity of their love." 2 Cor. viii, 8. 

A Church member who refuses to do what he can in 
contributions of substance to Jesus and His cause on 
earth gives no evidence of the sincerity of his love. It 
is not buying religion to contribute to the cause of re- 
ligion, but it is done because God lequires it as a test of 
the sincerit}^ of your love. Many brethren, who have 
their heads set against the use of money in the cause of 
Christ on earth, seem to forget that the first act of wor- 
ship offered to the "infant Saviour" was by the wise men 
who were guided by the Almighty himself to the place 
where the babe was. " And when they were come into 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 75 

the house they saw the young child with Mary, his 
mother, and fell down and worshipped him ; and when 
they had opened their treasures they presented unto him 
gifts — gold, frankincense and myrrh." Matt. ii. 11. 

The whole subject of Christian giving, as taught in 
the Bible, may as well be brought out here. 

" And it came to pass afterward that he went through- 
out every city and village, preaching and showing the 
glad tidings of the kingdom of God; and the twelve 
were with him, and certain women which had been 
healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Mag- 
dalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna, the 
wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many 
others which ministered unto him of their substance." 
Luke viii. 1-3 ; Mark xv 40, 41 

'' And he (Jesus) looked up, and saw the rich men cast- 
ing their gifts into the treasury ; and he saw also a certain 
poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, 
Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath 
cast in more than they all ; for all these have of their 
abundance cast in unto the ofiferings of God ; but she of 
her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. 
Luke xxi. 1-4; Mark xii. 43, 44. 

" But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for 
with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Heb. xiii. 16. 

" The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt 
bring into the house of the Lord thy God." Ex. xxiii. 19. 

" All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine, 
and of the wheat, the first fruits of them which they 
shall offer unto the Lord." Numbers xviii. 12. 

'' The first fruit also of thy corn, of thy wine and of 



76 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep shalt 
thou give him." Deut. xviii. 4. 

" None shall appear before me empty." Ex. xxiii. 15. 

''And they shall not appear before the Lord empty. 
Deut. xvi. 16. 

"And to bring the first fruits of our ground, and the 
first fruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the 
house of the Lord." Heb. x. 35. 

'^ But the liberal soul deviseth liberal things, and by 
liberal things shall he stand." Isa. xxxii. 8. 

These are a few of the passages of the Lord God, 
taken from the Old Testament, which show the law of giv- 
ing promulgated to the worshippers under the old dis- 
pensation. 

Jacob made a covenant with God to give one-tenth of 
his increase. ''And this stone which I have set for a 
pillar shall be God's house: aid of all that thou shalt 
give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Gen. 
xxviii. 22. This became the general rule with all Jews. 
Jesus nowhere enjoins this as a rule for Christians, but 
there are instances where he approved the rule as 
right. " Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypo- 
crites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, 
and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judg- 
ment, mercy and faith : these ought ye to have done, 
and not to leave the others undone. Matt, xxiii. 23 ; 
Luke xi. 42. It will be observed that Jesus said the 
tithe ought to have been paid. 

NEW TESTAMENT RULE FOR GIVING. 
"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you 
lay by him in store as God hath prospered h:m." 1 Cor. 
xvi. 2. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 77 

" If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability 
which God giveth : that God in all things may be glori- 
fied through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter iv. 11. 

" Every man shall give as he is able, according to the 
blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee." 
Deut. xvi, 17. 

" For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted 
according to that a man hath, and not according to that 
he hath not." 2 Cor. viii. 12. 

" Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him 
give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity : for God loveth a 
cheerful giver." 2 Cor. ix. 7. 

It will be observed that by these rules no one is ex- 
cepted. "Let every one of you ; " " every member" 

I will now assume that every Christian belonging to 
any Baptist Church believes the Scriptures which I 
have quoted , enjoining the duty of ministering unto 
Jesus of their substance ; and that he is willing to be 
governed by the Bible rulf s laid down above. Evary 
earnest Christian will inquire what is the best method 
of making up the paster's support and collecting the 
amounts due from each member when promised. 

The methods will be varied to suit country and city 
or town Churches. 

First, the Church ought to agree, " when gathered to- 
gether in one place, with one accord," as to what the 
membership can pay, and then each member ought to 
feel himself bound to contribute according to the rules 
quoted from the Bible. 

If every member is governed by love to God and love 
to the Church, each one will estimate in the fear of God 
what he can give to this one object, and report it to the 



'78 

deacons. They will report to the Church what amount 
has been promised. If this does not come up to the 
amount agreed upon as just and right to be paid to the 
pastor, then each member ought to be willing at once to 
increase his subscription to that extent which will in- 
sure the requisite amount. When the amount is fully 
subscribed, each member ought to pay his part promptly 
each month, if practicable, so that the pastor will not be 
compelled to go in debt. This is the most perfect system 
and in full accord with the rules of the Scriptures. "As 
a man purposethin his heart, so let him give, not grudg- 
ingly." 

This method is hardly ever practicable, because there 
a-re so many men who never do anything until somebody 
urges them to the performance of their duty. 

Whatever is subscribed should be promptly and certain- 
ly paid. If the principle which governed the first disciples 
after the organization on the day of Pentecost (when no 
one said ''that aught of the things he possessed was his 
own, but they had all things common") (Acts iv. 42) 
should govern the Churches now, they would consider 
themselves mutual insurance companies, so that if one or 
more brethren should fail, by death, sickness or other 
providential causes, to pay his subscription, the remain- 
ing members would cheerfully make it up. If a member 
obstinately or stealthily fails to pay the subscription 
he voluntarily makes, he should be arraigned and tried. 

'This know also that in the last days perilous times 
shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, 
covetous." 2 Tim. iii. 2. "Having eyes full of adultery^ 
and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls; 



FOE BAPTIST CHURCHES. 79 

an heart they have exercised with covetous practices.'^ 
2 Peter ii. 14. 

"Take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's 
life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which 
he possesseth." Luke xii. 15. It will be seen that the 
apostles, Paul and Peter, class covetousness with the most 
degrading vices of men, and even go so tar as to say it is 
idolatry. If therefore idolatry, drunkenness, fornication, 
etc., are crimes which will subject a member to the dis- 
€ipline of a Church, so will covetousness. The difficulty 
in the question is making out a clear case. 

Should a Church, with great unanimity and without 
passion, decide that a member is covetous, in the Bible 
sense of the term, it becomes the duty of that Church to 
exclude that member just as though he had committed 
adultery, fornication or idolatry. 

Where a member admits the binding force of Bible 
teaching on the duty of contributing to the expenses of 
worship, and carrying out the command of Jesus to 
'^preach the gospel to every creature','' and yet fails to 
contribute according ''as God hath prospered him," covet- 
ousness is generally the hindering cause. On this sub- 
ject the Scriptures are very clear. Covetousness is class- 
ed witn the most debasing violations of God's commands. 
It is clearly a subject of Church discipline, where a case 
can be clearly made out. "But now I have written unto you 
not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother 
be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a 
drunkard, or an extortioner ; with such an one no not to 
eat." 1 Cor. V. 11. "Know ye not that the unrighteous 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived ; 
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ef- 



80 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

eminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor 
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor ex- 
tortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor, 
vi. 9, 10. 

"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean 
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any in- 
heritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." Eph. 
V. 5. 

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the 
earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil 
concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry; for 
which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the chil- 
dren of disobedience." Col. iii. 5, 6. 

Many members of Baptist Churches are farmers, and 
get their money but once or twice a year. In this case 
it would be well to pay in advance, during the winter^ 
when money is in hand. The envelope system works 
well in towns. Weekly contributions are put in an en- 
velope sealed up, and dropped into the deacon's baskets 
as they pass around for funds to meet the expenses of the 
Church. 

Nearly every farmer is willing to give three times 
more, in value, in the form of produce, than he is to give 
in the form of money. Hence, the best method for a farm- 
ing community to support a pastor is for each member 
to give in produce. In this way any country Church 
might support a pastor for the whole time, so as to have 
preaching every Sabbath. No Church would be obliged 
to struggle long, because every such Church would most 
assuredly be built up in number and pecuniary .nbility. 
Where every member of a Church manifests his willing- 
ness to do what he can the Lord is sure to bless that Church. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 81 

Where two weak Churches are near each other, if they 
are imbued with the spirit of Christ, they could by a 
joint conference agree upon a pastor who could give his 
whole time to the two. In nearly every Church in this 
country there are members who own large tracts of land 
who ought to be willing to give, or sell cheap, fifteen or 
twenty acres in a locality so as to be convenient to both 
Churches, upon which land the entire membership of 
both Churches might unite and build a convenient cot- 
tage of four or five rooms, suited to the wants of a pastor's 
family. Upon this small farm the pastor, in his hours 
ot recreation, together with other members of his house- 
hold, might produce many comforts for the family in the 
shape of fruits and vegetables, etc. Then let each mem- 
ber of the two churches decide, in the fear of God, how 
much, and of what sort of produce he can best pay to 
his pastor. One might set aside half an acre of corn or 
wheat, another one-half acre of cotton, another one-eighth 
of an acre of potatoes, etc., while the sisters might sup- 
ply the pastor's family with butter, chickens and eggs. 
When the crops are ready for harvesting, let each one 
carry the product to the pastor's home. Nothing would 
so bind the hearts of pastor and people together as this 
plan, if carried out in love, and faithfully done. 
6 



82 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
THE MEMBEESHIP OF CHUECHES. 

According to the principles drawn from the Scriptures,. 
no person can properly become a member of a Baptist 
Church who has not been "pricked to the heart," or con- 
victed of sin, followed by repentance toward God and 
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ''For ye are all the chil- 
dren of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. iii. 26. It 
is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." 
John vi. 63. "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and 
Quickeneth them ; even so the Son quickeneth whom ha 
will." John V. 21. 

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in tres- 
passes and sins." Eph. ii. 1-5. 

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus- 
unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that 
we should walk in them." Eph. xi. 10. 

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new crea- 
ture ; old things have passed away." 2 Cor. v. 17. 

When this spiritual change has passed upon a respon- 
sible human being, his first duty is to be "added" unto 
the disciples of Jesus, as those were, on the day of Pen- 
tecost, who "gladly received" Peter's gospel word. 

These made the fact of the change wrought in their 
spiritual natures known to the organized disciples on 
that occasion. Peter had announced the condition of 
discipieship beforehand. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES.. 85 

"For as many of you as have been baptized into 
Christ have put on Christ." Gal. iii. 27. 

"For with the heart man belie veth unto righteousness; 
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." 
Rom. X. 10. 

The impulse of every heaven-born soul is that which 
moved David to say, "Come and hear, all ye that fear 
God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul." 
Ps. Ixvi. 16. 

It is not at all certain that the whole three thousand 
who were added to the Church on the day of Pentecost 
were pricked to the heart on that occasion. But it is al- 
together probable that many of those added were from 
among those whom Jesus' disciples had baptized upon 
their profession of faith in Him. Even if it be admitted 
that all three thousand, added on that occasion, were 
then and there baptized, there is no force in the objection 
raised against immersion as the only baptism, on the 
ground that it was impossible for the apostles to have 
baptized so many in the same day. 

Many a Baptist minister in Georgia has baptized one 
hundred persons in forty minutes. Any thoughtful man 
will know that immersion must be instantaneous, as hu- 
man beings are not amphibious animals. 

Every Baptist Church, therefore, holding that the 
Scriptures teach that no person should be baptized until 
he exercises a living faith in Jesus Christ by the opera- 
tion of the Holy Spirit, properly requires each appli- 
cant to state the "reason of the hope" that is within 
him. This is done at some regularly appointed meeting 
of the Church, when it is the duty and privilege of every 
member to be present. It is always to be preferred, 



84 CHURCH members' guide 

where the applicant can do so, to tell his own experience 
in his own simple way. There is a great deal of un- 
necessary alarm on the part of converts. All that the 
Church wishes to know is, whether the applicant had 
felt himself to be a helpless sinner against God, and that 
feeling thus he had yielded unreservedly to Jesus to be 
saved in His own way ; and having thus yielded, a 
change in his spiritual nature had taken place, so that 
he now desires to associate with the people of God, and 
strive to honor Christ by a godly walk and conversation. 
When these facts are made known, the Church is then 
ready to order his baptism, and not until then. After 
being received, the very first duty enjoined by the Scrip- 
tures is to be baptized. Not to make him a Christian, 
as some charge, but to announce, by being "buried with 
Christ in baptism," that he "rises to walk in newness of 
life." Having thus become an integral part^of a Church, 
the new member ought to feel (upon the principles estab- 
lished in the 'beginning of this Guidej that he is as re- 
sponsible for what the Church does as any other member 
in it, that he has no more right to neglect the meetings 
appointed by the Church than any other member has. 

If the Church decides to have a prayer-meeting, the 
obligation rests upon him, as much as upon any other 
member, to be present, and aid in every way to make it 
a profitable meeting. Remember that the first organ- 
ized Church, composed of the twelve disciples, at its 
meeting when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, "the 
twelve were with him." That the hundred and twenty 
members, after the ascension, were "all in one place with 
one accord." If Baptist Churches wish to be like these 
early Churches, the members must all meet when prac- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 85 

ticable. This duty of punctuality devolves especially 
upon members of Baptist Churches, because, as shown 
from the Scriptures, each one is an integral part of the 
responsible body. Every newly converted person ought 
to inquire, as did the Apostle Paul, when he was con- 
verted on his way to Damascus, "Lord, what wilt thou 
have me to do ?" If a man's heart is changed from the 
love of the world to the love of God, he desires to do 
whatever God directs. Many young Christians seem to 
imagine that, after they join a Church, their religious ob- 
ligations are at an end ; that the Church matters are to 
be managed by the old members, and that therefore it is 
useless for them to attend a meeting of the Church where 
any business is to be transacted. They should remem- 
ber that these old members were once young members, 
like themselves, and that they will soon pass away and 
give place to those who are now young. If they neglect 
the meetings of the Church, they will fail to become fa- 
miliar with the method of transacting the business (re- 
quired by the Word of God) of each Church. Those mem- 
bers who neglect the meetings of their Church will in- 
evitably become indifferent to the interest of God's king- 
dom in the world, or will imbibe loose notions about the 
requirements of God's Word. 

''Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance 
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- 
science, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us 
hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering 
(for he is faithful that promised), and let us consider one 
another to provoke unto love and good works. Not for- 
saking THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, aS the 

manner of some is, but exhorting one another ; and so 



M CHURCH members' GUIDE 

inuch the more, as ye see the day approaching." Heb. 
:x. 22-25. 

If every member of a Baptist Church would obey this 
Scripture, there would be a power in the Church which 
would be irresistible. Nothing so weakens a Church as 
the non-attendance of the membership. It has been 
shown from the Bible, that when a preacher is to be sup- 
plied, he is elected by the entire membership of the 
Church. Acts i. 15-26. 

Let every member of a Church, therefore, be punctual 
in ''gathering together," '*in one place with one accord," 
(Acts ii. 1.) and always be ready to take part in these 
selections. Inasmuch, therefore, as the preacher is elected 
by the "lot" or vote of the Church, it is due to the min- 
ister so selected that all the members of his Church attend 
punctually upon his ministry. Many a faithful minis- 
ter has been frozen out by an indifferent Church. Noth- 
ing so enlivens his heart and increases his power as a 
lively interest manifested by his entire Church, Ps. 
xxvi. 12. Ps. XXXV. 18. Ps. cvii. 32. Ps. cxxxiv. 1. Ps. 
Ixvi. 4. 1 Chron. xvi. 8. Luke xxiv. 52, 53. John iv. 
22, 23. Acts. xiii. 27. 

PRAYER. 

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that 
men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Luke 
xviii. 1. 

''Pray without ceasing." 1 Thes. v. 17. 

"I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up 
holy hands, without wrath and doubting." 1 Tim. ii. 18. 
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanks- 
giving." Col. iv. 2. "Be careful for nothing; but in 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 87 

everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiv- 
ing let your requests be made known unto God." Phil, 
iv. 6. Seek the Lord and his strength ; seek his face con- 
tinually." 1 Chron. xvi. 2. "Seek the Lord and his 
strength ; seek his face evermore." Ps. cv. 4. 

These Scriptures enjoin prayer as a duty and a privi- 
lege, and show that it is never out of place. Eph. vi. 18. 
Kom. xii. 12. 

PROMISES TO ANSWER PRAYER. 

"Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall 
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you ; For every 
one that asketh, receiveth ; and to him that knocketh, it 
shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if 
his son ask bread, will he give him a stone ? Or if he ask 
a fish, will he give him a serpent ? If ye then, being 
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, 
how much more shall your Father which is in heaven 
give good things to them that ask him ?" Matt. vii. 7-11. 
Deut. iv. 29, 30; Job xxxii. 26; Chron. vii. 13, 14; Ps. 
icxxii. 6 ; Ps. Ixv. 4 ; Prov. iii. 6 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 37 ; Jer. 
xxix. 13 : Matt. xxi. 22 ; Mark xi. 25 ; John xv. 7 ; Peter 
iii. 12 ; 1 John iii. 22. A great many more references 
might be given. 

The early saints had set times for prayer, several times 
a day. Daniel vi. 10--13 ; Acts x. 9 ; Ps. v. 3 ; Ps. Iv. 17; 
Acts xvi. 25; Acts x. 9. 

The Scriptures quoted above refer to private or secret 
prayer. In attending to this duty there ought to be the 
least possible ostentation. *'And when thou prayest, thou 
shalt not be as the hypocrites are ; for they love to pray 
standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the 



88 CHURCH members' guide 

streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto 
you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou 
prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut 
thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy 
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." 
Matt. vi. 5, 6. These are the words of Jesus and ought to 
be carefully weighed. Many Christians violate this plain 
teaching of the Saviour for fear that an apparent neglect 
of prayer may have a bad effect upon those around them, 
in whose presence they may be confined. 

Better follow strictly Jesus' teaching, and let secret 
prayer be secret. If a Christian's walk and conversation 
is what it ought to be, those with whom he maybe tem- 
porarily thrown will not suspect his piety because he 
does not kneel down in their ^presence to go through with 
his secret prayer. On the contrary, very often it creates 
disgust, because what they have seen in his conduct con- 
vinces them that this kneeling is intended for show. A 
Christian whose heart "pants after God" may always 
find some place to which he can retire and pray in secret 
before retiring to bed. Rather than violate the instruc- 
tion of Jesus, breathe a prayer from the secret depths of 
your heart. But don't neglect to pray. 

PUBLIC PRAYER. 

Just preceding the first meeting of the first organized 
Church, after the ascension of Christ, when Matthias 
was elected by the "hundred and twenty," we find this 
record : "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the 
mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath 
day's journey. And when they were come in, they went 
up into an upper room, where abode both Peter and 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 89' 

James, and John, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bar- 
tholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and 
Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These 
all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication 
with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with 
his brethren." Acts i. 12-14. 

Here we have a clear description of a Church prayer- 
meeting, consisting of men and women who continued 
in prayer and supplication "with one accord." "Peter 
therefore was kept in prison ; but prayer was made with- 
out ceasing of the Chureh unto God for him." Acts xii. 
5. "And said" (Jesus) "unto them, It is written, my 
honse shall be called the house of prayer^ Matt. xxi. 13. 
"And the whole multitude of the people were praying 
without at the time of incense " Luke i. 10. 

"And being let go, they went to their own company, 
and reported all that the chief priests and elders had 
said unto them. And when they had prayed, the place 
was shaken where they were assembled together; and 
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake 
the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of 
them that believed were of one heart and one soul: 
neither said any of them that aught of the things which 
he possessed was his own ; but they had all things com- 
mon." Acts iv. 23-32. "Now Peter and John went up 
together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the 
ninth hour." Atsiii. 1. "And they continued steadfastly 
in prayers." Acts ii. 42. 

SOCIAL PRAYER-MEETINPS. 

"Again I say unto you. That if two of you shall agree 
on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it 



90 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven. 
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, 
there am I in the midst of them." Matt, xviii. 19, 20. 

"And when he" (Peter) "had considered the thing, he 
came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose 
surname was Mark, where many were gathered together 
praying." Acts xii. 12. 

"And when he" (Paul) "had thus spoken, he kneeled 
down and prayed with them all." Acts xx. 36. 

"And when we" (Paul and his company) "had accom- 
plished those days, we departed and went our way ; and 
they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, 
till we were out of the city ; and we kneeled down on 
the shore and prayed." Acts xxi. 5. 

If any one would take the trouble to count the number 
of verses in the Bible which enjoin prayer, and those con- 
taining prayer and praise in the words of prayer, it 
Would be found that there are over twelve hundred verses. 
This shows the importance attached to prayer by the in- 
spired writers. 

FAMILY PRAYER. 

There are no specific texts of Scripture which enjoin 
the duty of regularly collecting the family, and praying 
•God's blessing upon the household. It is one of those 
obvious duties which flow from the whole tenor of God's 
word, and men who desire "to serve God acceptably, with 
reverence and godly fear," will not question God's will 
on this point, any more than they would doubt the duty 
of building a meeting house, although there cannot be 
found in the whole New Testament one word enjoining 
the building of such houses. There are many passages, 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 91 

however, from which this duty may be clearly inferred. 

"And his" (Samuel's) "return was to Ramah ; for 
there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and 
there he built an altar unto the Lord." 1 Sam. vii. 17. 

''We will not hide them from their children, shewing 
to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and 
his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 
For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed 
a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that 
they should make tbem known to their children; That 
the generation to come mignt know them, even the chil- 
dren which should be born, who should arise and declare 
them to their children : That they might set their hope 
in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his 
commandments." Ps. Ixxviii. 4-7. 

''And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of 
them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou 
walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when 
thou risest up." Deut. xi. 19. 

"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and 
attend to know understanding." Prov. iv. 1. 

"Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath ; but 
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the 
Lord." Eph. vi. 4. 

"And these words, which I command thee this day, 
shall be in thine heart : And thou shalt teach them dili- 
gently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when 
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by 
the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest 
up." Deut. vi. 7. 

These Scriptures make it the duty of parents to 
^*teach diligently" the commandments of the Lord to 



92 CHURCH members' guide 

their children, when "they lie down and when they rise upj^ 
That is, when they go to bed and when they rise from 
their beds. Now connect with this duty of teaching 
children, night and morning, the many and urgent 
commands to pray, such as, "Pray everywhere, lifting up 
holy hands," "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thes. v. 17. 
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with 
thanksgiving." Col. iv. 2. "But in everything by prayer 
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests 
be made known unto God. Phil. iv. 6. "Seek the Lord 
and his strength ; seek his face evermore." Ps. cv. 4. 

Will any person who desires to do the will of his 
Heavenly Father, with these, and many other Scriptures 
before him, say that the gathering of the family together 
night and morning, reading a chapter or suitable por- 
tion of Scripture,, and then kneeling down and praying 
God's blessing upon the household, would not be pleasing 
to the Lord Jesus Christ, and profitable to the house- 
hold? It seems that a man who reads the Bible, and 
prays for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, could not come 
to the conclusion that family prayer was not a Christian 
duty, as well as a very great privilege. Let us suppose 
that every Baptist believes taat it is both a duty and a 
privilege. Can every head of a Christian family con- 
duct family worship? Some are exceedingly timid, and 
would break down if they were to attempt it, and for 
fear of this, they decline to attend to this duty of the 
head of the family, and thereby excusing themselves 
they become indifferent to family worship, very much 
to the injury of all that are in the household. 

A person just as well excuse himself from the ordi- 
nance of baptism, because, forsooth, he may be afraid of 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 93 

water. The duty uught, by all means, to be performed 
by every pious head of a household. Every Baptist will 
avoid ritualism — a mere performance of a round of acts, 
without any heart or soul and spirit in it. But he can 
read a portion of God's word, or some one of the family 
can doubtless do so, and he can so familiarize himself 
with the Lord's prayer, or some one of the many prayers 
recorded in the Bible, that he can repeat them with the 
same earnest spirit with which he can read the chapter. 
An earnest soul, " panting for the living God," will not 
have long to stumble in this manner ; but will find, as 
his heart glows with love to God, and the dear members 
of his family, that " words will flow apace," and he 
will be astonished to find how easily he can pray aloud 
when he forgets himself. Let every Christian head of 
a family, who imagines that he cannot conduct prayers 
in his family, ask himself, in all honesty, if pride is not 
at the bottom of his trouble. I have known many men 
who neglected family prayers on the ground that they 
were not able to pray before their families ; and these 
same men were fine speakers on occasions where reputa- 
tion was to be made. Moses tried to beg off from the 
duty which God required of him, on the ground that he 
was " slow of speech," yet some of the sublimest passages 
in the Bible fell from Moses' lips. 



94 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XIX. 
SABBATH. 

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days 
shalt thou labor and do all thy work ; but the seventh 
day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt 
not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, 
thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, 
nor thy stranger that is within thy gates : For in six 
days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all 
that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore 
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." 
Ex. XX. 9-11. This is one of the commandments, and 
with the Saviour's interpretation and application is just 
as binding as the other nine. 

"At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through 
the corn ; and his disciples were an hungered, and began 
to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the 
Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disci- 
ples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath 
day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what 
David did, when he was an hungered, and they that 
were with him ; how he entered into the house of God, 
and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for 
him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but 
only for the priests? Or have ye not read in th - law, 
how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple 
profane the Sabbath, and are blameless ? But I say unto 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 9^ 

you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have 
mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned 
the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the 
Sabbath day. Matt. xii. 1-8. 

Mark gives nearly the same account of this event, but 
winds up with this remark of Jesus, "The Sabbath was 
made ^or man, and not man for the Sabbath ; Therefore 
the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Mark ii. 
27, 28. 

''And there was a man there which had a withered 
hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal 
him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 
And he saith unto the man which had the withered 
hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it law- 
ful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil ? to save 
life, or to kill ? But they held their peace. And when 
he had looked round about on them with anger, being 
grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto 
the man. Stretch forth thine hand. ' And he stretched it 
out; and his hand was restored whole as the other." 
Mark iii. 1-5. 

On another occasion, the Lord healed a woman on the 
Sabbath day, when the rulers objected. The Lord said, 
"Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath 
loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away 
to the watering ? And ought not this woman, being a 
daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these 
eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath 
day? Luke xiii. 15, 16. 

On still another occasion Christ healed on the Sab- 
bath day, and was met by the usual objection from "the 



"96 CHURCH members' guide 

people," He said, "Judge not according to adpearances, but 
judge righteous judgment." John vii. 2d. It will be 
seen that in all these instances where Jesus violated the 
Sabbath, according to strict Jewish ideas, he performed 
acts of mercy, or allowed his disciples to gather corn to 
satisfy their hunger. There is no reason to infer that he 
intended to abolish the Sabbath or to make war on its 
sanctity. He taught very plainly, that "the Sabbath 
was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." The 
rest enjoined was intended to benefit man, and should be 
observed in this way, in all cases, except where kindness 
to man or beast required work. Many Christians have 
made too much of Jesus' rebuke to the objecting Phari- 
see. It must be remembered that one prime object of 
the blessed Saviour was to rebuke the '' hypocrisy^^ of 
this class of objectors. Theirs was not a "righteous judg- 
ment." 

Isaiah says, "Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sab- 
bath from polluting it." Isa. Ivi. 2. 

"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from 
doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sab- 
bath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable ; and shall 
honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine 
own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then 
shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; and I will cause 
thee to ride upon the high places of the earth ; and feed 
thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father ; for the mouth 
of the Lord hath spoken it." Isa. Iviii. 13, 14. 

While Jesus modified the Jewish construction of the 
law for keeping the Sabbath, by removing the death 
penalty for its violation, and by example showed that 
acts of mercy might be performed on the Sabbath, with- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 97 

out violating it, he certainly did not intend to say that 
Isaiah was wrong in what he said by divine inspiration 
concerning the manner of keeping the Sabbath and the 
blessings following its observance. 

According to Jesus' example and teaching, it is proper 
to "visit the fatherless and widow in their distress/' the 
sick and afflicted, on the Sabbath day, but to visit "for 
our own pleasure," to speak our ''own words," or take 
rides "for pleasure," would evidently violate the Sabbath, 
as Isaiah presents the subject. The experience and judg- 
ment of all the civilized world have united in the obser* 
vance of the Sabbath as a day of rest. This seems to be 
"the prime object of the command. The Sabbath can 
therefore be violated by having so much of religious 
worship as to leave no time to rest. 
7 



98 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XX. 

SUNDAY SCHOOLS. 

Sunday-school instruction follows, naturally, from 
family instruction to children. The Bible nowhere di- 
rects Sunday-school instruction in so many words But 
it is like a great many directions in the word of God, 
where Christians are commanded to do a thing, and 
where no direction is given as to how it must be done. 
If a duty is commanded, it must be performed, though 
we may not be told how it must be done. The word of 
God enjoins the duty of teaching the commandments to 
our children — of "brinc^ing them up in the nurture 
and admonition of the Lord." Eph, vi. 4. 

No special methods for doing this thing are given, but 
the general direction that it must be done, "when thou 
walkest by the way, when thou sittest in thine house, 
when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deut. 
xi. 19. 

Now add to this the fact that Jesus took special inter- 
est in children. 

"And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon 
them, and blessed them. Mark x. 16. And said unto 
them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name 
receiveth me. Luke ix. 48. Luke xviii. 15-17. Matt, 
xix. 13, 14. 

What do all these blessed words show, but that we 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 99 

cannot pay too much attention to children ? Paul says 
of Timothy, "And that from a child thou hast known the 
holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto 
salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. 2 
Tim. iii. 15. Timothy had been taught the Scriptures 
when a child, and Paul said they "were able to make 
him wise unto salvation/' but he does not tell us luho 
taught him and how he was taught. Somebody taught 
him, and that somebody did right. All children, there- 
fore, ought to be taught the Holy Scriptures. Ps. xxxiv. 
11. Eccl. xii. 1-7. Eph. vi. 4. 

Many children have no parents, and many have pa- 
rents who are not able to teach them, and again, many 
have parents who will not teach them, but are willing 
for them to be taught. Now Baptists adhere tenaciousl}- 
to the order of Scripture in the organization of Churches, 
but they find it necessary to have rules of decorum^ 
clerks, and moderators which are not mentioned in 
Scripture. Just so it is found that God requires chil- 
dren to be taught the Scriptures, and men are left ta 
adopt the best way of doing the work required. Every 
Church ought to direct and control the Sunday-school 
conducted by its members, and every member ought to 
contribute all in his power to carry forward the great work 
of teaching the Scriptures to children. Paul tells us that 
the primitive Churches had '' teachers " as well as propli- 
ets. bishops, or elders. Eph. iv. 11. 

"For when for the time ye" (Hebrew Christians) "ought 
to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again 
which be the first principles of the oracles of God." Heb* 
V. 12. "Now there were in the Church that was at Anti- 
och certain prophets and teachers.'" Acts xiii. 1. "And 



100 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

<Tod hath set some in the Church, first, apostles, second- 
arily, prophets, thirdly, teachers'" — helps, etc. 1 Cor. xii. 
28. "Covet earnestly the best gifts." 3 1st verse. 

No one who desires to do all that God requires of him 
can fail to find in his Holy Word, abundant evidence 
that it is the revealed will of God that every Christian 
man and woman is bound to exercise all the gifts that 
he has given to spread the "glorious gospel of the blessed 
God." As a Church meeting needs a moderator, to give 
direction to business and attend to the execution of the 
decorum, so does a Sabbath-school need a superintendent, 
to give direction to the operation of the school. 

QUALIFICATIONS. 

He should, first of all, be a Christian, whose heart has 
been regenerated and made anew by the Holy Ghost, and 
whose life is a life of faith. He ought to have the same 
kind of love for children that Jesus had. He should be 
apt to teach. He should be a man without ''cranks" He 
should have the boldness to teach exactly what is taught 
in the Bible; always insisting that whatever God com- 
mands must be done, just in the order in which we find 
it commanded in his Blessed Word. He should teach 
that no man has a right to change or invert this order. 
He should be courteous to associate teachers and pupils. 
He should always admit that he is acting as a member 
of the Church, and is simply aiding the pastor by prepar- 
ing the minds of children the better to understand the 
preached word. He should never fail to impress the pu- 
pils with the truth that the Sabbath-school is doing the 
preparatory work, and is not intended to take the place 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 101 

of preaching — the divinely appointed method of saving 
them that believe. Luke ix. 60; 1 Cor. 1. 21; Isa Ixi. 1 

TEACHERS. 

Like the superintendent, teachers in a Sunday-school 
should be regenerated persons, who love God and his 
service, and who feel deeply interested in leading child- 
ren to Christ, just in the spirit of Andrew, when he 
'.'brought his brother Peter to Jesus." John i. 42. And 
like Philip, who was deeply interested in his friend Na- 
thanael ; ("Philip saith unto him, Come and see." John 
i. 46.) Knowing that the gospel of Jesus "is the power 
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 
i. 16 ), they must feel anxious to teach the great truths 
of this Gospel to children, praying fervently that God 
would by the Holy Spirit apply the word to their hearts^ 
and adopt them into his family. They should always 
prepare themselves by a diligent study of the lesson to 
be taught, attended with earnest prayer that the truth, 
as it is in Jesus, may be so presented by them to the 
children of their classes, that the lessons may be "as 
bread cast upon the waters which shall be seen after 
many days." Eccle. xi. 1. 

There should be the utmost harmony existing between 
the pastor. Church, superintendent and teachers. Be 
" like a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariot." In 
order that a school may be efficient : 

1st. The superintendent and teachers must be deeply 
imbued with the spirit of Jesus. 

2nd. They must be competent to teach. 

3d. They must be industrious and thorough in prep- 
aration. 



102 

4th. They must be punctual in attendance at the time 
appointed, and uige punctuality upon their pupils. 

5th. They should show their sympathy with pupils 
by visiting them when sick or in trouble. 

6th. They should aid them in their innocent amuse- 
ments, so as to gain their confidence and love. 

7th. They must never forget to impress upon the 
children that pure religion leads men to serve God from 
motives of love to Him and His glory, and not for the 
gain there may be in it. 

Upon the last principle I have been opposed to any 
system of prizes in Sabbath-schools. The policy of 
prizes is too near akin to the principles of the devil, 
when he said, *' Doth Job fear God for naught ? " "Thou 
hast blest the work of his hands, and his substance is 
increased in the land." Job i. 9, 10. 

I much prefer to foster the principle which moved 
Job to say, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in 
him." Job xiii. 15 

The most important work of the Sunday-school teacher 
is to impress the young minds and hearts of the chil- 
dren with reverence for God's truth. The great and 
leading truth is, that " Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and 
the Life, and that no man cometh to the Father but by 
him." John xiv. 6. 

In the present age of " advanced thought " (as some 
vainly talk), the tendency is to treat God's revealed Word 
just as they would any other book. The child ought to 
be taught that " Holy men of old wrote as they were 
moved by the Holy Ghost," and, therefore, the Bible is 
divine, the product of divine wisdom ; and when it 
speaks, it is God speaking to man. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 103 

The next important thing to teach is, that all we have 
and are belongs to God. That we are the "stewards of 
the manifold grace of Grod." 1 Peter iv. 10. That while 
salvation is the free gift of God, and is given without 
money and without price, yet when men have been re- 
deemed, "not with corruptible things, as silver and gold," 
(1 Peter i. 18), they must show their gratitude to Him 
who hath redeemed them by "ministering unto him of 
their substance." These Bible principles being clearly 
presented to the young minds, give them an opportunity 
to contribute every week. This is in accordance with 
the divine rule laid down by the Apostle Paul. " Upon 
the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him 
in store, as God hath prospered him." 1 Cor. xvi. 2. 

Children should be taught that "God loveth a cheerful 
giver." Another divine rule is, ''For if there be first a 
willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man 
hath, and not according to that he hath not." 2 Cor. 
viii. 12. 

Although these rules were made directly with refer- 
ence to contributions for the poor, they apply to all con- 
tributions which may be necessary in the advancement 
of the cause of God on earth. The superintendent ought 
to arrange to have pennies, that is, cent pieces, to ex- 
change with the children for their nickels, or dimes, so 
that they may contribute one cent at a time, if they are 
not able to do more. Remember, they must be made to 
understand that they are not required to give if they have 
not a "willing mind" which will make them feel that it 
is a privilege to give. Let them know that the Lord 
only accepts a free-will offering. Children should further 
be taught that what they arive should be their own. 



104 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

That is, they ought to earn the money by something^ 
they do. It is not profitable training in this divine or- 
der for children to beg the money from their pasrents. 
They ought always to be made to feel that it is a sacrifice 
which they themselves make. This was the spirit 
which moved David when be said, "Neither will I offer 
burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which 
doth cost me nothing." 2 Sam. xxiv. 24, 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 105 



CHAPTER XXr. 
MISSIONS. 

Many Baptists, who call themselves "Primitive Bap- 
tists," are opposed to missions, saying, "There is no Bible 
authority for such work." Some of these say ''missionary" 
is not once named in the Bible. The more intelligent 
among these brethren know that missionary means one 
sent off on a mission, and that the word apostle means pre- 
cisely the same — one sent off on a mission. Missionary 
being derived from the Latin, and apostle being derived 
from the Greek language. The tw^el ve apostles, were called 
apostles because Christ sent them to preach the gospel. As 
these men had peculiar powers given them (such as heal- 
ing the sick, raising the dead, and making the blind to see, 
etc.), which men sent out after them have not possessed, 
the word missionary has been substituted, which simply 
means one sent. Wherever we find the word sen^ attached 
to a person in the Bible, he was a missionary. Now let 
"US see what the Bible says on this subject: "And Jesu& 
came and spake unto them, saying. All power is given 
unto me in heaven and in earth, Go ye therefore and 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teach- 
ing them to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
end of the world." Matt, xxviii. 18-20. 

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and 



106 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth 
and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not 
shall be damned." Mark xvi. 15, 16. 

"And he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus 
it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the 
third day : And that repentance and remission of sins 
should be preached in his name among all nations, be- 
ginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv. 46, 47. 

I have written the parting commission which Jesus 
gave his disciples just before he ascended to heaven. The 
form of one is, "Go teach all nations." The form of 
another, "Go ye into all the world." The form of the 
third is, that ''repentance and remission of sins should 
be preached among all nations." 

The promise — ''lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
end of the world." 

When Christ gave a command to his disciples, the 
-command was given to every disciple that should suc- 
ceed them, else we would reject all the teaching in the 
"Sermon on the Mount," because it was addressed to the 
disciples present. The commission given in the Scrip- 
tures quoted, is the on(^ commission given by Him to 
to his followers. If not, by what authority does any 
preacher of the present day preach "repentance and re- 
mission of sins in His name ?" 

"Now there were in the Church that was at Antioch 
certain prophets and teachers ; as Barnabas, and Simeon 
that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, 
which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, 
and Saul. 

"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy 
<jhost said. Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 107 

whereunto I have called them. And when they had 
fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they 
SENT them away. So they, being sent forth by the 
Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia ; and from thence 
they sailed to Cyprus." Acts xiii. 1-4. 

The account is given of their traveling in Pamphylia 
and other places, preaching to the Jews who blasphemed. 
"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was 
necessary that the word of God should first have been 
spoken to you : but seeing ye put it from you, and judge 
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to 
the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, say- 
ing, I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles, that 
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the 
earth." Acts xiii. 46, 47. After preaching in Lystra 
and Derbe, and other places, during which time Paul was 
stoned, and left for dead, "they had passed throughout 
Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. And when they had 
preached the word in Perga, they went down into At- 
talia : and thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they 
had been recommended to the grace of God for the work 
which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and 
had gathered the Church together, they rehearsed all 
that God had done with them, and how he had opened 
the door of faith unto the Gentiles." Acts xiv. 24-27. 

Here we have a clear case of a Church sending two 
men, pointed out by the Holy Ghost, to a foreign coun- 
try, which they had to reach by taking ship and ".sazYmpf," 
and after they had fulfilled the work which had been as- 
signed to them, they "sailed to Antioch, from whence 
they had been recommended to the grace of God." When 
they reached Antioch, "they gathered together the 



108 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

Church, and rehearsed all that God had done with them.'' 
Baptists who believe in missions are doing this very 
same thing. When the Holy Ghost impresses the heart 
of a preacher with the desire to preach the gospel to men 
in foreign lands, vvhere it will be necessary for them to 
sail in order to reach the distant land, those who sympa- 
thize with the call of the Holy Ghost "fast and pray, and 
laying hands on him, send him away" (Acts xiii. 3.), and 
recommend him to the grace of God. He goes as Paul 
and Barnabas did, and preaches the gospel to the Gentile 
sinners. After a series of years he returns and reports to 
the brethren, who sent him to fulfill a certain work, just 
as Paul and Barnabas reported to the brethren who sent 
them out. 

Just after the account given above, it is stated that a 
dispute arose about circumcision, when Paul and Barna- 
bas, with certain other of them, were sent up to Jerusa- 
lem to consult the apostles and elders about this ques- 
tion, and they were ''brought on their way by the 
Church." Acts xv. 2, 3. From this statement, we infer 
that the Church at Antioch paid their expenses, while 
doing missionary work, about which they had made their 
report. The Church, in conjunction with the Holy 
Ghost, sent them; the Church, of course, paid their ex- 
penses, as we have no statement that the Holy Ghost sup- 
ported them by a miracle. God said to Paul, "Depart: 
for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." Acts 
xxii. 21. That is the same as saying, I will make you a 
missionary to the Gentiles. 

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have 
not believed? and how shall they believe in him of 
whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 109 

without a preacher ? and how shall they preach, except 
they be sent ? So then, faith cometh by hearing, and 
hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not 
heard ? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, 
and their words unto the ends of the world." Rom. x. 
14-18. Here Paul's argument is very clear and strong. 
No one can be expected to believe on him of whom he 
has not heard ; no one can hear without a preacher ; no 
one can preach except he he sent, or be a missionary. 

If the heathen, who have never heard of God and his 
Son, Jesus Christ, are ever brought to the knowledge of 
him, a preacher must be sent to them. This is the 
clear conclusion of the apostle's argument. But a 
good many who oppose missions make a great deal 
of the expression of Paul, "their sound went in all the 
earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. '> 
They say that the commission to the apostles, to go into 
all the world, has been fulfilled, and therefore is no longer 
binding upon the disciple of the present day. 

If this principle be true, then when a preacher has 
once preached to a Church, or community, he ought 
not to go back and preach again. The promise of Christ 
^'lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the 
world," reaches over all time — as long as the world stands. 

When Christ, in his memorable prayer for his disci- 
ples, says, "Neither pray I for them alone, but for them 
also who shall believe on me through their word" (John 
xvii. 20), he meant that the work of his disciples should 
never cease, but should be perpetuated from generation 
to generation. Paul says again, '-To preach the gospel 
in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another 
man's line of things made ready to our hand." 2 Cor. x. 



110 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

16. ''And when James, Cephas and John, who seemed 
to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto 
me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fel- 
lowship ; that we should go unto the heathen, and they 
unto the circumcision." Gal. ii. 9. 

It will be very clearly seen that Paul did not believe 
that he was to cease preaching to '-the heathen," be- 
cause the "word of God had sounded out in all the world." 

"And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his 
mercy; as it is written. For this cause I will confess to 
thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And 
again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 
And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles ; and laud 
him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall 
be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the 
Gentiles ; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Nevertheless, 
brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in 
some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace 
that is given to me of God, Tnat I should be the minis- 
ter of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel 
of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be ac- 
ceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost." Rom xv. 
9-16. Let it be remembered that '"Gentiles" is a term 
which was applied to all nations upon the face of the 
earth. 

Paul was thf". most thoroughly educated man of his 
day, and God selected him to be a missionary to the 
heathen, then termed Gentiles. It is proper now to 
send the best educated men as missionaries to the 
heathen, provided they are first called of God, as Paul 
was by the Holy Ghost. 

When God in his providence, says, Who will go 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. Ill 

for me ? and a man, qualified like Paul, will say, "Here 
am I, send me," then let the brethren, as the brethren in 
the Church at Antioch did, send him. This is God's 
method of sending missionaries to the heathen, and it is 
sinful to fold our arms in idleness and say, "If God 
wants to convert the heathen, he will do it without our 
aid." The curse of Meroz w^ll rest upon such professing 
Christians. 

"'Curse ye Meroz, saith the angel of the Lord, curse ye 
bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not 
to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against 
the mighty." Judges v. 23. 



112 



CHAPTER XXII. 
ANTI-MISSION PAPTISTS. 

Those Baptists who insist that God will save the 
heathen independent of human effort, and entirely- 
through His predestinating grace ; overlook all that class 
of Scriptures that enjoin activity in every Christian. 
God, speaking by the mouth of David, says, *'I will de- 
clare the decree : the Lord said unto me, Thou art my 
Son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I 
will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the 
uttermost parts of the earth for thy posseesion." Ps. xi. 
7,8. 

God had said before to Noah, ''While the earth re- 
maineth, seed time and harvest .... shall not 
cease." Gen. viii. 22. 

Here are two promises of God, the one just as im.- 
mutable as the other ; the one just as much the subject 
of predestination as the other. The number of grains of 
<}orn that will make up a harvest are just as well deter- 
mined in the mind of God, as the number of souls that 
will be saved by the atoiiing blood of Christ. It is just 
as impossible for a man to make a grain of corn as it is 
to save a soul. He cannot make a grain of corn, neither 
<jan he save a soul. 

The law of God is inflexible. By the sweat of thy 
face shalt thou eat thy bread. He also says by the mouth 
of Paul; "be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 118 

in the ivorlz of the Lord, for as much as ye know that 
your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor. xv. 58. 

We see that God requires men to labor in carrying out 
both promises. 

It is just as much our duty to labor to the end that the 
heathen should be given Christ for an inheritance, as it 
is to labor to produce corn, upon which we are to subsist. 
We may ''rise early and sit up late," and be as industri- 
ous as possible, yet if God does not give the early and 
the latter rain we will fail to reap an harvest. In the 
same way we may be "steadfast, immovable, always 
abounding in the work of the Lord." 

Yet, if God withholds his Holy Spirit, not one soul 
will be turned from the ''error of his way." Jesus taught, 
on almost every occasion, that the kingdom of heaven 
is like the common operations of life. We find the par- 
able of the sower, the parable of the vineyard, the para- 
ble of the mustard seed, the parable of the tares, the par- 
able of the hidden treasure, the parable of the net, etc., 
etc. 

All intended to teach us that his servants should exer- 
cise the same kind of diligence in the kingdom of grace 
as in the kingdom of nature. The law in both is '^laborJ^ 

God is just as independent of our labor bestowed upon 
an harvest as he is independent of our labor bestowed 
upon spreading the gospel to the uttermost bounds of the 
earth. He can convert stones into bread, or increase two 
loaves and a few fishes into sufficient quantity to feed five 
thousand, and leave twelve baskets of fragments. (Luke 
xix. 15-17.) 

He can feed a nation forty years on manna and quails. 



114 CHURCH members' guide 

» 

He can convert a nation in a day, or change the heart of 
every human being in an instant. 

But this is not the order of his providence. While he 
knows beforehand what we need, yet he will be inquired 
oi ; we must pray. Salvation is entirely his work ; yet, 
after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom 
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of 
preaching to save them that believe." 1 Cor. i. 21. 

"And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the 
Lord tvorking ivith them. Mark xvi. 20. 

"And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth 
fruit unto life eternal : that both he that soweth and he 
that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that 
saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. ^ I sent 
you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour : other 
men laboured and ye are entered into their labours." 
John iv. 36-38. 

"Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one, 
and every man shall receive his own reward according 
to his own labour. For we are labourers together wdth 
God." 1 Cor. iii. 9. 

I should not have written this chapter, had it not been 
true that many Baptists say that God does not need the 
agency of man in the conversion of the world, and, 
therefore, oppose all missionary operations as "man's 
work." Holding this view, they do nothing that will 
aid in senaing the gospel to the heathen. Again, there 
is a much larger numbei, calling themselves Baptists, 
who do not openly oppose missionary work, but are per- 
fectly indifferent to it — never aiding in any way to carry 
out the last command of Jesus, "Go ye into all the world 
and preach the gospel to every creature." All these need 



FOR BAPTIST CHUKCHES. 115 

i:o have their "pure rainds stirred up by way of remem- 
brance." I have shown, by abundant quotations of 
Scripture, that God's plan for converting the heathen is 
by sending missionaries to preach the gospel to them, 
as Paul did while he lived. God's word says it must be 
done, but does not give specific directions as to how it is 
to be done. Christians cannot refuse to do what He com- 
mands, because He has not given minute directions as to 
the mode of doing it. The Church at Antioch sent out 
Paul and Barnabas to preach to the heathen. They 
went — did the work assigned to them — and returned and 
made their report. Of course, their sailing expenses were 
paid, as well as their expenses while traveling and 
preaching in the various places named. How these 
• expenses were paid does not concern us. They must have 
been paid. It took money to do it, and we must be 
governed by the Bible rules for raising funds for all 
ixeligious purposes. (See rules as laid down.) 



116 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
HOW MONEY CAN BEST BE RAISED FOR MISSIONS. 

We have seen that a local Church, when organized ac- 
cording to God's Word, is entirely independent of all 
other Churches in what it does as a Church. The most 
natural way to raise money would be for each Church to 
collect the contributions of the members for all religious 
purposes. Let each^member contribute " as God has pros- 
pered him," and as he may "purpose in his heart," first 
having a ''willing mind." (1 Cor. xvi. 1.. 1 Peter iv. 21, 
2 Cor. viii. 12.) 

Let the treasurer take charge of all these contributions 
and enter in a book the amount given for each purpose; 
such as — 

1st. Pastor's salary. 

2nd. Church expenses. 

3rd. Poor. 

4th. Foreign Missions. 

5th. Home Missions. 

6th. Church building, etc., etc. 

Of course each Church could not remit directly to a 
foreign country ; hence, there must, of necessity, be a 
general agent, who shall acquaint himself with all the 
work conducted by Baptist Churches, so as to forward 
all contributions made by all the Churches, that the 
whole may be done in a business way, and with the 
iaast loss in passing through agents' hands. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 117 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
ASSOCIATIONS. 

Baptist Churches have formed assemblies known by 
the name of Associations. As the word indicates, they 
are simply Associations, with no power beyond the influ- 
ence which the opinion of a wise friend has over an as- 
sociate. The word is not used in the Bible, but the idea 
is naturally suggested by the transaction between the 
Church at Antioch and that at Jerusalem. 

"And certain men which came dow^n from Judea, 
taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised 
after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When 
therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and 
disputation with them, they determined (the brethren) 
"that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them 
should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders 
about this question. -And being brought on their way 
by the Church, they passed through Pheniceand Samaria, 
declaring the conversion of the Gentiles : and they caused 
great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were 
come to Jerusalem, they were received of the Church and 
of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things 
that God had done with them." 

Here ensues a general discussion : ''Then pleased it 
the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send 
CHOSEN men of their own company to Antioch with 
Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas surnamedBarsabas,and 



118 

Silas, chief men among the brethren : And they wrot^ 
letters by them after this manner: The apostles and elders 
and BRETHREN send greeting unto the brethren which 
are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.'^ 

Here follows the letter, after the letter this : ''So when 
they were dismissed, they came to Antioch ; and when 
they had gathered the multitude together, they de- 
livered the epistle, which, when they had read, they re- 
joiced for the consolation." Acts xv. 1-31. 

It will be noticed' that the Church at Antioch was dis- 
turbed by a question which gave the brethren trouble ; 
and it fell upon the expedient of asking the opinion of 
the apostles, eiders and brethren at Jerusalem, sup- 
posing that they knew more about the question than it 
did, that the discussion took place not alone in the pres- 
ence of the apostles and elders, but also before the breth- 
ren who united with the apostles and elders in the let- 
ter sent back to the brethrj^n at Antioch, containing 
their decision of the question, which decision gave the 
"brethren great consolation." 

Questions that frequently perplex the Churches arise 
now, and have in all ages arisen,, where they need the 
advice of wise counsellors. In order to meet this emer- 
gency. Churches convenient to each other unite and form 
what are called Associations, to which they send "chief 
men among the brethren," (Acts xv. 22) as "messen- 
gers of the churches:" (2 Cor. viii. 23.) These "mes- 
sengers," being the "chief men among the brethren," are 
supposed to be bettor versed in God's word, and will be 
likely to give sound advice on all doubtful points. Bap- 
tists, who hold that the word of God is a perfect, as well 
as the only rule of faith and practice, do not dare to en- 



FOR BAPTIST CHUKCHES. 119 

act a law in the churches that is not clearly laid down 
in the Bible, or is not the natural or common-sense way 
of applying a principle clearly defined by the revealed 
will of God. They hold that neither a church, nor any 
combination of Churches, have a right to enact a law to 
govern any Christian man in the discharge of his reli- 
gious duties; but simply to enforce laws already enacted 
by divine wisdom. To illustrate : The Bible says Chris- 
tians must ''not forsake the assembling of themselves to- 
gether" (Heb. X. 25), but it does not say how many times 
they may be absent from the assembly of the saints with- 
out becoming sinners in this matter. Common sense 
teaches that every Church must judge of the circum- 
stances attending absences and decide when a brother or 
sister violates this rule of Scripture. A rule adopted by 
a Church on this subject would not be enacting di. law, but 
simply carrying out the obvious intention of the teach- 
ing of God's word. It has already been abundantly 
proven by Scripture, that a local Church, organized as- 
the primitive Churches were, is the highest ecclesiastic 
authority on earth in matters of religion, and Vrom its 
decisions there can be no appeal. A Baptist Church 
does not abandon this fundamental idea when it associ- 
ates with other Churches to discuss questions which af- 
fect alike all Churches of the "same faith and order." They 
meet in these associations for the purpose of learning 
how Churches, holding a common faith, are prospering, 
and by bringing the experience of all the Churches to- 
gether, suggestions may be made by which every Church 
may be greatly benefited. The "chief men among the 
brethren," who are appointed "messengers" by the 
Churches to the Association, convey letters written in. 



120 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

the form of the letter mentioned in the fifteenth chapter 
of the Acts, naming the messengers, the number re- 
ceived by baptism, upon a profession of faith in Christ, 
the number received by letter, the number restored, the 
number dismissed by letter, the number excluded, and 
the number who have died since the last session of the 
Association, winding up with total membership. If any 
one of the Churches is troubled by a question, it is sent 
up to the Association just as the question on the subject 
of circumcision was sent by the Church at Antioch to 
the apostles, elders and brethren at Jerusalem. This is 
■usually called a "query." If the Church has given to 
missions, and other benevolent purposes, the amounts 
contributed for each object during the year are stated. 
All of these facts are tabulated by a clerk, who keeps the 
niinutes of the Association. In this way, the number of 
Baptists in the United States can be very accurately ob- 
tained, leaving out those Baptists who have received let- 
ters of dismission from one Church, and hold them with- 
out joining another Church of the same "faith and order." 
Unfortunately, the number of these is very great, so that 
there are a great many more Baptists in the country 
than is shown by the census, made up from records of 
Associations. The officers of an Association are — a pre- 
siding officer, called moderator, and a clerk and treasurer. 
These three officers are elected by ballot, every member 
voting, after the names mentioned in the letters from 
the various Churches have been enrolled. This work 
is done by the clerk of the preceding Association, who 
calls the new body to order, if the Moderator of the pre- 
ceding Association is not present. There is no specific 
direction for all this in the Scriptures. But like a great 
many things^ which are required by Scripture to he done. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 121 

without giving minute direction as to hoio it must be 
done, this plan has been adopted, that everything may 
be done "decently and in order." 1 Cor. xiv. 40 

Associations adopt "confessions of faith/' which em- 
brace the leading doctrines taught in the Bible. When 
a new Church applies for membership, the messengers, 
bearing the letter of application, also present the arti- 
cles of faith which the Church has adopted. This 
"Church Covenant," as it is commonly called, is submit- 
ted to a special committee of wise brethren, who exam- 
ine the articles of faith, and if this committee report 
them sound to the Association, the Church is admitted 
by vote. Should a Church, belonging to the Association, 
become unsound in faith or practice, the Association 
simply withdraws fellowship from that Church, and will 
not thereafter receive her messengers until the evil is 
■corrected. The resolutions and all other action of the 
Association are published, together with statistical ta- 
"bles, in pamphlet form, called "Minutes." These are 
distributed among the Churches forming the Association 
in the ratio of the amount of money sent by the 
Churches to pay for minutes. The clerk is usually paid 
for attending to their publication. If a Church becomes 
•dissatisfied with the action of an Association, it can 
withdraw at pleasure. Everything connected with the 
whole matter is voluntary. The Association, therefore, 
lias no sort of power to enforce its opinions. Associa- 
tions do not form any part of the governing power among 
the Baptists, although many intelligent people think so. 
All ecclesiastical government resides in each local 
Church, as though it was the only Church on earth. 
Head the 18th and 14th chapters of Acts; the entire ac- 
■count of sending out missionaries and their return, when 



122 CHURCH members' guide 

they made their report to the Church, gathered to- 
gether. Acts xiv. 27. . This shows that the Church- 
at' Aiitioch acted without the least reference to any other 
Church. A person reading the account without knowing 
about the Church at Jerusalem, would suppose that the 
Church at Antioch was the only Church in existence. 

Read again the account of the exclusion of the person 
for incest given in 1 Cor. 5th chapter, and the subsequent 
action when he was restored, given in 2 Cor. 2d chapter, 
and it will be noticed that the Church at Corinth acted 
as though there was no other Church on earth. 

Associations sometimes transcend their authority by 
interfering too freely with cases of discipline. The sub- 
ject of Church discipline ha'^ been fully discussed, and 
the conclusion arrived at, that a local Church is the only 
religious body that can deal with an offender, and that 
its action, when the direction of Jesus has been faithfully 
followed, is final. But, frequently, members are disci- 
plined by a Church which is divided in opinion as to the 
guilt or innocence of persons excluded. 

In such cases the Church sends up to the Association a 
^'query" on the subject, requesting the opinion of the 
body of ".chief men among the brethren." The Asso- 
ciation discusses the "query" sent up by the particular 
Church, and in the heat of debate, things are said and 
plans proposed, which would only be proper in a body 
that had some ecclesiastical authority. Often, instead of 
benefiting the Church by a little timely advice, they 
throw in a fire-brand, which disturbs the harmony of the 
Churches for years. Some Churches, not well informed 
on the subject, sometimes drift into the belief that the 
Association can rectify the action of the Church. All. 
that an Association can do is to advise. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 125 



CHAPTER XXV. 
CONVENTIONS. 

In addition to Associations, Baptists have fornaed Con- 
ventions. These differ from Associations in their objects. 
Conventions are formed for the purpose of concentrating 
the efforts of Churches and Associations to obey the great 
command of our Saviour, "Go ye into all the world and 
preach the gospel to every creature." 

It, of course, has no power over Associations and 
Churches. It is simply a working body, composed of 
messengers from Associations, Churches and Missionary 
societies. To call a Convention of Baptists, "The Bap- 
tist Church" would be a ridiculous misnomer. I pro- 
pose appending, as a sample of a Convention, the consti- 
tution of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

Nearly all the States in the United States have Con- 
ventions. These Conventions form again the Southern 
and Northern Baptist Conventions. These latter act as 
agents for State Conventions, and manage through a 
secretary, who is a salaried oflficer, all the funds intended 
for Foreign Missions. 

CONSTITUTION. 

We, the delegates from mi'sionary societies, churches, and other 
religious bodies of the Baptist deromination in various parts of the 
United States, met in convention in the city of Augusta, Georgia, for 
the purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intentions of our 
constituerts by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and di- 
recting the energies of the whole denomination in one sacred effort for 



124 CHURCH mkmbkks' guide 

the propagation of the Gospel, agree to the following rules or funda- 
mental principles : 

Article I. This body shall be styled the "Southern Baptist Conven- 
tion." 

Art. II. It shall be the design of this Convention to promote foreign 
and domestic missions, and other important objects connected with 
the Redeemer's Kingdom, and to combine for this purpose such por- 
tions of the Baptist denomination in the United States as may desire 
a general organization for Christiaa benevolence, which shall fully re- 
spect the independence and equal rights of the churches. 

Art. III. The Convention shall consist of members who contribute 
funds, or are delegated by religious bodies contributing funds, on the 
basis of one delegate for every hundred dollars contributed to our 
funds at any time within the twelve months preceding the meeting 
of the body ; and of representatives, on the terms hereinafter specified, 
from any of the following bodies, viz: the Maryland Union Baptist 
Association, the Baptist General Association of Virginia, the Baptist 
General Association of West Virginia, the North Carolina Baptist 
State Convention, the Baptist Convention of Western North Carolina, 
the Baptist Convention of the State of Georgia, the Florida Baptist 
State Convention, the Alabama Baptist State Convention, the Missis- 
sippi Baptist State Convention, the Baptist General Association of 
South-eastern Mississippi, the Louisiana Baptist State Convention, the 
Baptist State Canvention of Texas, the Baptist General Association 
of Texas, the Baptist Convention of Eastern Texas, the Arkansas Bap- 
tist State Convention, the Baptist General Association of Western Ar- 
kansas and Indian Territory, the Tennessee Baptist State Convention, 
the Baptist General Association of Kentucky, the Missouri Baptist 
'General Association, the Southwest Missouri Baptist Convention! 
which bodies shall be allowed one representative in this Convention 
for every five hundred dollars which, daring the twelve months end- 
ing December 31, previous to the session of this Convention, may have 
been expended by them for objects similar to those in the prosecution 
of which this Convention may be actively engaged, which objects are 
at present those of Foreign Missions Home Missions, Indian Missions, 
and Sunday school work ; provided, that the official organs of such 
State Convention or General Association shall, by the first day of 
March preceding the annual session of this Convention, have com- 
municated with the Home Mission Board of this Convention the 
amount expended by the body in question as above indicated ;^roi;ide(i> 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 125 

also, that the representatives of these bodies shall be formally ap- 
pointed by the organs thereof in the manner which may by the said 
. bodies be hereafter directed, and that their appointment shall be duly 
certified to this Convention. 

Art, IV. The officers of this Convention shall be a President, four 
Vice-presidents, a Treasurer, and two Secretaries, who shall be elected 
at each annual meeting, and hold their ofiQce until a new election ; 
and the cflEicers of this Convention shall be, each by virtue of his of- 
fice, members of the several Boards. 

Art. V. The Convention shall elect at each annual meeting as 
many Boards of Managers as in its judgment will be necessary for car- 
rying out the benevolent objects it may determine to promote— all 
which boards may continue in office until a new election. Each Board 
shall consist of a President, Vice-president, Secretaries, Treasurer, 
Auditor, and fifteen other members ; seven of whom, including one or 
more of the officers, shall form a quorum for the transaction of busi- 
ness. To each Board shall be committed, during the recess of the 
Convention, the entire management of all the affairs relating to the ob- 
ject with whose interest it shall be charged, all of which naanagexent 
shall be in strict accordance with the constitutional provisions 
adopted by this Convention, and such other instructions as may be 
given from time to time. Each Board shall have power to make such 
compensation to its Secretaries and Treasurer as it may think right, 
fill the vacancies occurring in its own body, and enact its own bjMaws. 

Art. VI. The Treasurer of each Board shall faithfully account for 
all moneys received by him, keep a regular entry of all receipts and 
disbut semen ts, and make report of them to the Convention whenever 
it shall be in session, and to his Board as often as requii-ed. He shall 
also, on entering upon the duties of his office, give competent security 
to the President of the Board for all the stock and funds committed to 
his care. His books shall be open at all times to the inspection of any 
member of the Convention and of his Board. No monevs shall be 
paid out of any of the treasuries of the Board, but by an order from 
that Board from whose treasury the money is to be drawn, which 
order shall be signed by the presiding officer. 

Art. VII. The Corresponding Secretaries of the several Boards shall 
maintain intercourse by letter with such individuals or public bodies 
as the interest of their respective bodies may require. Copies of all 
such communications, with their answers, if any, shall be kept by 
them on file. 



126 



Art. VIII. The Eecording Secretaries of the several Boards shall 
keep a fair record of their proceedings^ and of such other documents 
as may be committed to them for the purpose. 

Aet. IX. All the officers, Boards, Missionaries, and agents ap- 
pointed by the Convention, or by any of its Boards, shall be members 
of some regular church in union with the churches composing this 
Convent on. 

Art. X. Missionaries appointed by any of the Boards of this Con- 
vention must, previous to their appointment, furnish evidence of gen- 
uine piety, fervent zeal in their Master's cause, and talents v^^hich fit 
them for the service for which they offer themselves. 

Art. XI. The bodies and individuals composing this Convention 
shall have the right to specify the object or objects to which their con- 
tributions shall be applied. But when no such specification is made, 
the Convention will make the appropriation at its own discretion. 

Art. XI [. The Convention shall hold its meetings annually, but 
extra meetings may be called by the President, with the approbation 
of any one of the Boards of Managers. A majority of the attending 
delegates shall not be necessary to form a quorum for the transaction 
of business. The President, or in the event of his death, any of the 
the Vice-presidents of the Convention may, at the request of two of its 
Boards, postpone or alter the place of meeting of the Convention, 
when it may be deemed by him inexpedient to convene at the time or 
place appointed. 

Art. XIII. Any alterations which experience shall dictate may be 
made in these Articles, by a vote of two-thirds of the members pres- 
ent at any annual meeting of the Convention, 

BY-LAWS. 

Impressed with the obligation resting on the Convention to en- 
deavor more energetically and systematically to elicit, combine, and 
direct the energies of the whole denomination in one sacred effort for 
the propagation of the Gospel, we adopt the following By-laws : 

1. That the Boards of the Coavention be directed to form the closest 
possible connection with the State Boards, where such exist, in such 
way as shall be mutually agreeable, and in other places to secure such 
agency as each of the Boards may deem best ; in both cases providing 
for necessary expenses incurred. 

2. That the Secretaries ef the Boards of the Convention be in- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 127 

structed to secure frequent distribution of information relating to 
iheir work, by means of newspapers, tracts, leaflets, and otherwise, as 
may be expedient, among the masses of the people. 

3. That the Committees on the Nomination of new Boards be in- 
structed to nominate, as Vice presidents of the Boards, men known to 
be identified with the interests of the Convent on and of their own 
State Boards, and unless special reasons exist to the contrary, men 
who make effort to attend the sessions of the Convention. These Vice- 
presidents shall be expected to co-operate with the Boards, both giving 
and receiving suggestions as to the work to be done, and they also 
shall be expected to present to the next session of the Convention a 
brief report in writing of what they have been requested to do, and 
the way in which they have complied with these requests, witu any 
suggestions that they may have to oflfer as to the condition and needs 
of their respective fields. It shall be tne duty of each Secretary, in 
due time, to furnish the Vice-presidents of his Board with suitable 
blanks for such reports, and to call their attention to this article, and 
to make any proper effort to secure the due preparation of these re 
ports. In case any Vice-president appointed is unable or unwilling to 
comply with the requests herein mentioned, it shall be the duty of 
the Board, if possible, to fiad some parson who can, and request him 
so to do; and furthermore, the Vice-president for each State shall ba 
desired, as speedily as possible, to prepare a roll of the associations, 
churches and Sunday-schools in that State, to be used for the distri- 
bution of information, and to ascertain, as far as possible, which of 
the churches and Sunday-scho3ls are contributing to the fands of the 
Board, and the annual amounts, and to make systematic effort, each 
year, to increase the number and amount of such contributions. 

4. The Boards shall report, at each session of the Convention, what 
special efforts they have been able to make tDward carrying out the 
objects of these By-laws. 

6. That so much of the second day of the Convention as shall be 
necessary shall be set apart lor consideration of theie reports, and of 
questions. connected with them. 

6. That these By-laws may be altered at any time by a majority 
vote, except on the last day of the Convention. 



128 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

CHRISTIAN DUTIES. 

The duty of every member of every Church to attend 
all the meetings appointed by the Church has been fully 
discussed, also the duty of Christian Giving, Prayer, etc. 
etc. It will now be useful to notice some of the most ob- 
vious duties of the every-day life of a Christian man. 
Many professing Christians lay great stress upon the or- 
dinances of the Church, and seem to think that it is more 
important to obey the command to "be baptized," than 
"to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." 
Titus xi. 10. The inconsistent walk and conversation of 
those Baptists, who are very uncharitable towards those 
who differ with them on the organization of Churches, 
has done more to bring contempt upon Baptist doctrine 
and practices than anything else. If all Baptists were 
careful to maintain good works, so that "all v»rho behold 
them would take knowledge of them that they have been 
with Jesus," Baptists would not be a sect everywhere 
spoken against, but their principles, w^hich so nearly ac- 
cord with the plain teachings of the Word of God, would 
control the religious faith of the world. As the marriage 
relation stands at the head of social life, I will begin 
with the duties of husband and v/ife : 

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, 
as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and 
be not bitter against them." Cor. iii. 18, 19. "Marriage 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 129 

is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled : but whore- 
mongers and adulterers God will judge." Heb. xiii. 4. 

"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own hus- 
bands ; that, if any obey not the word, they also may 
without the word be won by the conversation of the 
wives; while they behold your chaste conversation 
coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that 
outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of 
gold, or of putting on of apparel. But let it be the hid- 
den man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, 
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is 
in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner 
in the old time the holy women also, v/ho trusted in 
God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their 
own husbands." 1 Peter iii. 1-6. 

It will be seen from these Scriptures that the husband 
must restrain ail bitterness, and the wife by her meek- 
ness, prudence and economy win the husband. Many 
think it strange that the children of professors of reli- 
gion are frequently irreligious. In the majority of cases 
it will be found that the father and mother failed to live 
after God's Word, and the children saw nothing in their 
parents which commended religion to them. 

FATHER AND MOTHER. 

"Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they 
be discouraged." Col. iii. 21. God said of Eli, "For I 
have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the 
iniquity which he knoweth ; because his sons made them- 
selves vile, and he restrained them not." 

It is the religious duty of fathers to restrain their chil- 
dren. The mother should unite with the father in all 



130 CHUKCH members' GUIDE 

that the Word of God requires, and thus by a conscien- 
tious adherence to Bible teaching, train up their children 
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The first 
thing that every pious parent should do is to take the 
new-born babe, and in solemn prayer dedicate it to God, 
and ask him to so control the heart of the child as to re- 
generate him as soon as he can understand his responsi- 
bility to God. Much of the bad character of many 
Churches can be traced to the want of faithful adherence 
on the part of husband and wife, father and mother, to 
Bible teaching. 

DIVORCE. 

The greatest blot upon American civilization is the 
ease with which a divorce can be obtained in many of 
the States of the United States. Baptist Churches, in 
many instances yielding to public opinion in such 
States, become exceedingly loose in their discipline on 
this subject. The law of Christ ought to be supreme with 
every Baptist, under whatever government he may live. 
That law is very clearly stated by Christ himself, "And 
the Pharisees came to him and asked him, Is it lawful 
for a man to put away his wife ? tempting him. And he 
answered and said unto them. What did Moses command 
you ? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of di- 
vorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered 
and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he 
wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the 
creation God made them male and female. For this cause 
shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to 
his wife. And they twain shall be one flesh ; so then 
they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 131 

<Tod hath joined together, let no man put asunder. And 
in the house his disciples asked him again of the same 
matter. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put 
away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery 
against her. And if a woman shall put away her hus- 
band, and be married to another, she committeth adul- 
tery." Mark x. 2-12. ''I say unto you, Whosoever shall 
put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall 
marry another, committeth adultery ; and whosoever 
marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." 
Matt. xix. 9. 

"It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, 
let him give her a writing of divorcement. But I say 
unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving 
for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adul- 
tery ; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced 
committeth adultery." Matt. v. 32. 

"And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the 
Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband : But and 
if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled 
to her husband ; and let not the husband put away his 
wife." 1 Cor. vii. 10, 11. 

The law, as laid down by Jesus, and afterwards by 
Paul, is clear. Every Church ought to execute this law, 
so as not to allow its members to violate it, even in States 
where divorces are granted for causes other than fornica- 
tion. A faithful compliance with the law of Jesus on this 
subject would do more to introduce love and affection in 
a household, and to purify society, than any legal enact- 
ment could possibly accomplish. 

It is possible that two persons may be united whose 
temperament is such as to make it exceedingly disagree- 



132 CHUKCH members' guide 

able to remain together, so that it may be necessary to 
"depart," but let them remain unmarried or be reconciled. 

Some Baptists maintain that there is no cause which 
can justify a divorce, so as to allow the parties to marry 
while both are living. It will be observed that Jesus, on 
two occasions, said, "except it be for fornication." The 
true principle of interpretation is this: Where a law is pro- 
mulgated and reported by several persons, by some with- 
out and by*others with an exception, those reports which 
contain the exception most fully express the intention of 
the lawmaker. 

Duties belonging to other relations in life are discussed 
in chapters that follow this under their appropriate- 
heading. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 133 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

EVIDENCES OF DISCIPLESHIP. 

Many Church members are in great perplexity and 
doubt as to the genuineness of their conversion. They 
are frequently tempted to ask the Church to exclude 
them from her fellowship. This is often brought about by 
the commission of some sin; the mind becomes darkened, 
and the heart desponding. The tests of true discipleship 
are abundant. ^'By this shall all men know that ye are 
my disciples, if ye have love one, to another. John xiii. 35. 
^' Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." 
John XV. 14. ''Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the 
Christ is born of God ; and every one that loveth him 
that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." 1 
John V. 1. "By this ye may know that ye have passed 
from death unto life, because ye love the brethren." "If 
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." 2 Cor. v. 
17. 

Let anyone in doubt as to whether he is a child of God 
or no, ask himself if he is willing to abandon all hold 
upon Christ, and give himself up to worldly joys, never 
to be classed with his disciples. If he finds way down in 
his heart a longing desire to be like Christ, he should at 
once take courage "to come boldly to the throne of grace, 
where he may find grace to help him in his time of need." 
Jesus never thrusts from him any soul that would seek 
his face. Young Christians are often brought to this ex- 
tremity by a want of watchfulness, when the devil, the 



134 CHURCH members' guide 

great adversary of souls, taking advantage of their per- 
plexity, persuades them that they have made a mistake,, 
and frequently yielding to temptations, they give up for 
a time their hope, and try to drown their convictions of 
conscience by rushing headlong into sin in all its forms. 
But if God has wrought a thorough change in the heart, 
the soul will not be satisfied with the pleasures of sin, 
and after many bitter experiences will be brought back 
to a full consecration to God and his service, when there 
will be the full experience of " joy unspeakable and full 
of glory." Though God may make your very sin the in- 
strument of your recovery, as he did in the case of David 
and Peter, yet the disgrace is there, and the bitter tears 
the penalty, and sorrow for the time lost in the service of 
the best of Fathers ! Every young disciple ought imme- 
diately after his baptism read the account of Christ's bap, 
tism, and what immediately followed. "Then was Jesus 
led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of 
the devil." Matt. iv. 1. He will find that Jesus met 
every temptation with the Scripture, and in no instance 
did the devil overcome him, but left Jesus, and "behold, 
angels came and ministered unto him." Matt. iv. 11. 

The devil will be sure to tempt after baptism, by 
which the Christian puts on Christ. In order to be able 
to meet the temptation successfully, let the Christian 
store his mind with Bible truths, which are always the 
most potent armour against the wiles of the devil. 
"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and 
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new- 
born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye 
may grow thereby; if so be ye have tasted that the Lord 
is gracious." 1 Peter ii. 1-3. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 135 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. 

This seems the most natural place to discuss this sin, 
which has given so many Christians great distress. 

Let us first give the Bible definition of this sin. Jesus 
said, "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and 
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men : but the blasphe- 
my AGAINST THE HoLY Ghost shall not be forgiven unto 
men. Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it 
shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither 
in the world to come." Matt. xii. 31, 32. Luke xii. 10. 

We are taught all through the Scriptures that the 
work of the Holy Ghost is to take the things of Christ and 
show them unto us. That He convinces of sin. That 
He changes the heart and makes men "gladly receive the 
Word," as He did on the day of Pentecost. To blaspheme 
Him, therefore, is to drive off the very powerthat brings 
the soul 'to a saving knowledge of Christ. 

When this is done men not wishing to retain God in. 
their knowledge are given over to strong delusion, that 
they should believe a lie ; that they all might be damned, 
who believed not the truth." 2 Thes. ii. 11. 

When a Christian gets into darkness, and has a con- 
sciousness that he has sinned against God, and becomes 
anxious about his condition, the devil frequently per- 
suades him that he has committed the unpardonable sin. 
This fear throws him in great distress, and it frequently 



1 



136 CHURCH members' guide 

verges on dispair. To all such, let us remark that it is 
certain that they have not committed that sin. Remem- 
ber, if a dead sinner is ever moved to feel any concern 
about his soul, it is the work of the Holy Ghost. The 
fact that he feels deep concern is the best evidence that 
the Holy Ghost is at work in his heart. 

Be assured that Jesus stands ready to receive any one 
as soon as he goes to Him with his trouble. The man 
who has committed this sin is perfectly indifferent, and 
cannot be aroused to a sense of his danger. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 137 



CHAPTER XXIX. 
FAITH. 

As faith lies at the foundation of Christian character, 
and the Bible statements are so often misinterpreted, 
even by Christians, it is proper to devote a special chap- 
ter to this subject. In the Christian religion there is a 
divine side and a human side. Paul presents the 
divine side of Faith, while James presents the human 
side. Many Christians dwell on the divine side to the 
exclusion of the human side, while many dwell upon the 
human side to the exclusion of the divine. The first 
always quote from Paul, while the second quote from 
James. Many suppose that the two are at variance and 
cannot be reconciled. Let us first look at faith from 
Paul's standpoint. He is looking at God's sovereignty 
and man's spiritual imbecility. He would impress all 
with the fact that ''saltation is of the Lord," that "by 
grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not of your- 
selves : it is the gift of God" Eph. ii. 8. 

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith 
without the deeds of the law." Rom. iii. 28. 

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him 
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for 
righteousness." Rom. iv. 5. 

"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted 
to him for righteousness." Gal. iii. 6. 

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for; 



138 CHURCH members' guide 

he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that 
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." 
Heb. xi. 6. 

Now turn to the human side. Let us take St. James' 
standpoint. He is discussing the practical exhibition of 
faith when he says : "What doth it profit, my brethren, 
though a man say he hath faith, and have not works ? can 
faith save him ? If a brother or sister be naked and desti- 
tute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in 
peace, be ye warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give 
them not those things which are needful to the body, 
what doth it profit ? Even so faith, if it hath not works, 
is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say thou hast 
faith, and I have works ; shew me thy faith without thy 
works, and I will show my faith by my works. Thou 
believest that there is one God, thou doest well ; the devils 
also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, ! vain 
man, that faith without works is dead ? Was not Abra- 
ham our father justified by works, when he had offered 
Isaac his son upon the altar ? Seest thou how faith 
wrought with his works, and by works was faith made 
perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, 
Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him 
for righteousness : and he was called the Friend of God. 
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and 
not by faith only." James ii. 14-24. 

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith 
without works is dead also." (26 verse.) 

It will be observed that James was condemning that 
class w^ho had simply the faith that devils had, and in- 
sisted that true faith was the spirit which animated the 
living body. Paul says, "Do we then make void the law 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 139 

through faith ? God forbid : Yea, we establish the law.'^ 
Bom. iii. 31. 

Those who look at faith from the divine standpoint 
alone can see no place for good works ; while those who 
look at it from the human standpoint alone can see no 
place for a divine, special piovidence. But if we view 
it from both standpoints we will find a beautiful harmony 
between St. Paul's and St. James' account of faith ; and 
thank God that He has given us so complete a view of 
this all-important doctrine of the Bible. Jesus sums up 
both views in his answer to the scribes, who asked, 
"What shall we do that we might work the works of 
God ? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the 
work of God, that ye believe on him whom He hath sent." 
John vi. 28, 29. 

By this we understand Jesus to say that faith in him 
is the working principle from which all good works pro^ 
ceed. 



140 CHURCH members' GUIDE 



CHAPTER XXX. 

HUMILITY. 

"Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but 
in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than 
themselves." Phil. ii. 3. "Likewise, ye younger, submit 
yourselves unto the elder ; yea, all of you be subject one 
to another, and be clothed with humility, for God resist- 
eth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble. Hum- 
ble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, 
that he may exalt you in due time : Casting all your 
care upon him ; for he careth for you." 1 Peter v. 5-7. 

"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the 
humble." James iv. 6. 

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this 
little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of 
heaven." Matt, xviii. 4. 

Every Christian who looks into his own heart, and 
compares his life with the standard of God's Word, will 
see why he ought to be humble. Nothing so mars the 
Christian character or lessens his influence for good as a 
want of this cardinal virtue. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 141 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

HOLINESS. 

As faith and humility are prime elements in holiness, 
its discussion will properly come in at this place. The^ 
Scriptures are very rich in notices of this quality in the 
Christian. I will only copy a few of the most striking 
passages. 

"Follow peace with all men. and holiness, without 
which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. xii. 14. 

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let 
us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and 
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. vii. 1. 

''For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but 
unto holiness." 1 Thes. iv. 7. 

'For as ye have yielded your members servants to un- 
cleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now 
yield j^our members servants to righteousness unto holi- 
ness." Rom. vi. 19-22. 

'•But as he which hath called you is holy, be ye holy 
in all manner of conversation ; Because it is written, Be 
ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter i. 15, 16. 

These quotations contain the command to be holy. Let 
us now turn to some passages which give the true ground- 
work of holiness. 

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the- 
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and 
without blame before him in love. Having predestin. 



142 CHURCH members' guide 

ated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to 
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the 
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us 
accepted in the beloved." Eph. i. 4-6. ''And that ye 
put on the new man, which after God is created in right- 
eousness and true holiness " Ephe. iv. 24. "Why look 
ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or 
HOLINESS we had made this man to walk." Acts iii. 12. 
Heb. ii. 11. 

Holiness is so nearly allied to sanctification that both 
will be treated under one head. 

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the 
Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto obedi- 
ence, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 
i. 2. ''By the which will we are sanctified through the 
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Heb. x. 
10. '-For by one offering he hath perfected forever theni 
that are sanctified." Heb. x. 14. "Even the mystery which 
hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now 
is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would 
make known what is the riches of the glory of this mys- 
tery among the Gentiles ; which is Christ in you, the 
hope of glory : Whom we preach, warning every man, 
and teaching evdry man in all wisdom; that we may 
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Col. i. 
26--28. "And ye are complete in him ; which is the head 
of all principality and power." Col. ii. 10. 

It will be clearly seen from these Scriptures that what- 
ever holiness or sanctification any Christian may have, he 
derives it directly through Christ. That the highest state 
of sanctification is found in the man who has the least 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 143 

confidence in himself, and the strongest faith in Jesus, in 
whom alone we are "complete." 

Paul says of Jesus, "Who of God is made unto us wis- 
dom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemp- 
tion." 1 Cor. i. 30. 

If then all the sanctification and holiness which a 
Christian has comes from his Saviour, he ought of all 
men to be most humble and modest when speaking on 
this subject. The Bible gives account of two men who 
wer*e so holy that God took them directly to heaven with- 
out passing through death. Of the first, Enoch, very 
little is said. "And Enoch walked with God, and he 
was not ; for God took him." Gen. v. 24. Just before 
this declaration it is stated that he "walked with God 
three hundred years after he begat Methusaleh." (22 
Yerse). Again it is said in Hebrews, "By faith Enoch 
was translated that he should not see death ; and was not 
found, because God had. translated him ; for before his 
translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." 
Heb. xi. 5 

This is all the history of a man whose character was 
so perfect that he was translated after three hundred 
years walking with God. He was himself the most taci- 
turn man of whom we have any account. If he said one 
w^ord about his holiness, it is not recorded. The other 
instance was Elijah, who was at one time in a very de- 
sponding mood, but nowhere spoke of his peculiar holi- 
ness. So anxious was he to be reserved on this subject 
that he tried to elude Elisha, his most intimate friend 
and associate, so that he might not see him when he as- 
cended in the fiery chariot. St. Paul was taken to the 
third heaven, and heard things that it was not lawful for 



144 CHURCH members' guide 

him to repeat, and kept the fact to^himself for fourteen 
years, and then alluded to it in such a modest way as to 
leave us to guess that he was the man whom he ''knew 
fourteen years" before that time. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 145 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

GROWTH IN GRACE. 

When a Christian is first regenerated, by which he 
enters the spiritual kingdom of God, like the man who 
had his eyes suddenly opened, he "sees men as trees walk- 
ing." He is a babe in Christ and needs ''the sincere 
milk of the word, that he may grow thereby." 1 Peter 
ii. 2. 

"Besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, 
virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, tem- 
perance ; and to temperance, patience ; and to patience, 
godliness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to 
brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in 
you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be 
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and 
cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged 
from his old sins." 2 Peter i. 5-9. 

Again Paul says, "That ye might walk worthy of the 
Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, 
and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened 
with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all 
patience and long suffering with joyfulness ; Giving 
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be 
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light : Who 
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath 
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son : In whom 
10 



146 CHURCH members' guide 

we have redemption through his blood, even the forgive^- 
ness of sins. " Col. i. 10-14. 

John says, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh 
the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the 
world, even our faith." 1 John v. 4. 

These Scriptures plainly indicate that every Christian 
ought to make progress in the divine life, "adding" con- 
stantly some quality which will make him more and 
more like his blessed Saviour, who is infinite in his per- 
fection, and therefore the Christian's growth will be in- 
finite in its progress, like a peculiar line in Mathematics, 
known as an asymptote^ which constantly approaches a 
certain curve, but never touches it except at an infinite 
distance. It is sad to see so many Baptists who claim to 
have been made new creatures in Christ, and have put on 
Christ in baptism, making no progress in the life of 
Christ on earth. 

Many who have been members of the Church for forty 
or fifty years are just as irritable, just as impatient, just 
as worldly, just as covetous, just as uncharitable, if not 
more so, than at the beginning. No wonder that men of 
the world have a poor opinion of the Christian religion, 
when they see those who profess to be governed by its 
holy precepts so little like Christ in their character and 
spirit. Paul says, "If any man have not the spirit o£ 
Christ he is none of his." Rom. viii. 9. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 147 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES. 

If it be asked how can the fundamental virtues and 
graces, already discussed, be most effectually improved? 
I reply, by ''hiding God's word in your heart that you 
may not sin against him." Ps. cxix. 11. 

Paul says of the Bereans, ''These were more noble than 
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word 
with all readiness of mind, and searched the scrip- 
tures DAILY, whether those things were so: therefore 
many of them believed; aLso of honorable women which 
were Greeks, and of men, not a few." Acts xvii. 11, 12. 
It will be observed that Paul says it is a "noble" work 
to "search the Scriptures daily." How many Baptists 
are there, who can read, and who have one or more Bi- 
bles in their houses, that scarcely ever read them? 
Sometimes they take up the Bible and read it on the 
Sabbath until they drop off to sleep. This is not doing 
the work nobly. No wonder that such Baptists do not 
grow in grace, and that many of them do not believe in 
the doctrine of growth in grace. Many Christians do, 
however, make it a rule to read the Bible through once 
every year. This method of reading frequently degen- 
erates into a mere form, and a chapter or two are fre- 
que^tly read in a hurry to comply with a vow, or rule, 
made with reference to this thing. This is not "search- 
ing the Scriptures." The best method of reading the 
scriptures is to read with a concordance ,or reference 



148 CHURCH members' guide 

Bible, making the Bible explain itself. The majority 
of Christians are too dependent upon commentaries ; 
when they strike a text they do not understand, they 
fly at once to a commentary, thus destroying in them- 
selves the independent thought which all Christians, as 
the freedmen of the Lord, ought to have and exercise in 
a matter where each one is personally responsible di- 
rectly to God. As no one can answer for the errors and 
sins of another, all Christians should search the Scrip- 
tures for themselves. That portion of the word of God 
which relates to our personal responsibility is so plain 
that Isaiah prophesied of it : "And a highway shall 
be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of 
HOLINESS ; the unclean shall not pass over it ; but it 
shall be for those : the wayfaring men, though fools, 
shall not err therein." Isaiah xxxv. 8. There are 
mysteries and things "hard to be understood," which it 
takes learned men to fully explain. But the plan of 
salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus, and the prac- 
tical duties growing out of that faith, are so plainly and 
simply stated in the Bible, that any person capable of 
exercising faith in Christ can, for himself, decide what 
the Bible teaches without the intervention of priest, or 
any one else ; for God says, by the mouth of Paul, "So 
then every one of us shall give account of himself to 
God." Rom. xiv. 12. This is a responsibility that no 
human being can turn over to another. "Search the 
Scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have eternal life : 
and they are they which testify of me." John v. 39. 

*'The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul - 
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the sim- 
ple." Ps. xix. 7. 



FOR BAPTIST CHUKCHES. 149^ 

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and 
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a 
doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." 
James i. 25. 

Paul says to Timothy, "From a child thou hast known 
the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise 
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is prof- 
itable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruc- 
tion in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, 
thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. iii. 
15--17. 

There is a kind of sickly sentimentality which has 
sprung up among some Baptists, who hold that we ought 
to keep doctrine in the background, lest we offend those 
Christians who differ from us. The very first thing 
mentioned b}^ the apostle, for which "all scripture is 
profitable," is ^^doctrine" No teaching of the Scriptures 
ought to be rejected because we do not understand it, or 
because it appears to be inconsistent with other Script- 
ures. If the doctrine is clearly stated, however contrary 
to our pre-conceived notions, it should be accepted ; like 
Abraham, we should not " stagger through unbelief." 
What could be more inconsistent with the former prom- 
ise that all the nations of the earth should be blessed in 
Isaac, than the command to slay him in sacrifice? Yet 
Abraham did not hesitate to obey, "accounting that God 
was able to raise Isaac from the dead." It was this act 
that gave Abrahrm the title of the "friend of God," and 
*^the father of the faithful." There is here no room for 
sentimentality. The only safe rule is a rigid adherence 



150 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

to the plain teaching of Scripture. "Let God be true, 
and every man a liar." Rom. iii. 4. 

"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command 
you; neither 'shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye 
may keep the commandments of the Lord your God 
which I command you." Deut. iv. 2. 

"Whatsoever thing I command you, observe to do it: 
thou shalt not add thereto, or diminish from it." Deut. 
vii. 32. 

"Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, 
and thou be found a liar." Prov. xxx. 6. 

"And if any man shall take away from the words of 
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part 
out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from 
the things which are written in this book." Rev. xxii. 19. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 151 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 
UNITY OF BRETHREN. 

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord 
-Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that 
there be no divisions among you ; but that ye be per- 
fectly joined together in the same mind and the same 
judgment." 1 Cor. i. 10. 

"Be of one mind, live in peace." 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 

^'Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the 
same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Phil. ii. 2. 

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren 
to dwell together in unity!" Ps. cxxxiii. 1. 

"With all lowlinessand meekness, with long sufifering, 
forbearing one another in love ; endeavoring to keep the 
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph. iv. 2, 3. 

"Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the 
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto 
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." 
Eph. iv. 13. 

In Jesus' wonderful prayer for his disciples we find 
this passage, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them 
also which shall believe on me through their word ; that 
iihey all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in 
thee, that they also ma}'- be one in us ; that the world 
may believe that thou hast sent me, that the love where 
with thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." 
John xvii. 20, 21-26. 



152 CHURCH members' guide 

We see from these passages from the Word of God, that 
it is His will that all who "believe on him" may be one. 
Not only that they should all be one in love, but that 
they ''all speak the same thing, be of the same mind, and 
the same judgment." 

"Can two walk together except they be agreed ?'' 
Amos iii. 3. 

All believers in Christ, who have the faith that puri- 
fies the heart, will be saved in heaven, though they may 
differ very widely in their understanding of God's Word. 
But none can walk together "except they be agreed." The 
true spirit of God's word is to labor to the end that all 
may be of the "same mind, and the same judgment." 

''And John answered him, saying. Master, we saw one 
casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us : 
and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But 
Jesus said. Forbid him not, for there is no man which 
shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak 
evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part." 
Mark ix. 38-40. 

Many Christians, whose lives show that they are striv- 
ing to honor Christ, and are "zealous of good works," 
followeth not us ; Christ tells us not to forbid them. 
Apollos, though an "eloquent man and mighty in the 
scriptures," needed to be taught the "way of the Lord 
more perfectly." Acts xviii. 24-26. 

Paul was glad that the gospel was preached, "whether 
in pretence or in truth." Phil. i. 15-19. 

Let us not hinder the gospel by wrangling with those 
"who followeth not with us." Luke ix. 49. 

But unite as far as we agree with those who are on the 
part of Jesus. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 158 

Public discussions on points of difference among Christ- 
ians scarcel}^ ever result in convincing either side, but 
almost invariably beget hostile feeling. Each party feels 
that he has a creed to sustain, and is not in a state of 
mind to weigh with fairness the opposing arguments. 

No truth of God's word ought to be covered over and 
passed by without due consideration, for fear of wound- 
ing the feelings of anyone present. Whatever a Christian 
believes the word of God teaches, let him speak the 
''truth in love " just an hehelievesit, without attacking any 
who may hold to a contrary interpretation. Such 
preaching, by an honest, sincere man, never offends any 
honest, sincere man who differs with him ; nor does it 
break the union of sympathy and love which always ex- 
ists among those who bear the image of Christ. If all 
Christians w^ould present God's truth in this way, 
and in this spirit, that union and oneness for which Je- 
sus prayed would soon be brought about and Christ's 
will be accomplished. 



154 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

FORGIVENESS. 

Jesus, in the memorable Sermon on the Mount, sa3^s : 
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly 
Father will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men 
their trespasses, neither will 3^our Father forgive A^our 
trespasses." Matt. vi. 14, 15. 

**If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him ; 
and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against 
thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn 
again to thee, saying, I repent ; thou shalt forgive 
him." Luke xvii. 3, 4. 

"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and say- 
ing. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled 
down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin 
to their charge. And when ho had said this he fell 
asleep " Acts. vii. 59, 60. "Dearly beloved, avenge not 
yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath ; for it is 
written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the 
Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if 
he thirst, give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt 
heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, 
but overcome evil with good." Rom. xii. 19-21. The 
subject of forgiveness is so clearly set forth in these 
Scriptures that it would seem unnecessary to say one 
word. 

If the religion of Jesus were to be judged by the man- 
ner and spirit in which these commands are obeyed, the 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 155 

Terdict would be that very few deserve to be called Chris- 
tians. Many members of the same Church entertain 
hostile feelings for each other for years, even to the de- 
gree that they never speak. Our Churches are very 
negligent in their discipline in this particular. In ev- 
ery instance of this kind the Church ought to insist on 
the method which Jesus lays down in the eighteenth 
chapter of Matthew. If both parties refuse, let both be 
unto the Church as "heathen men and publicans." 
When Jesus announced the principle of forgiveness, the 
disciples said, "Lord, increase our faith." There is no 
greater trial to faith than the forgiveness of injuries. 
Constant and earnest prayer is the surest way to meet 
the trial of our faith. 



156 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 
TONGUE. 

There is not a more fruitful source of sin than the 
tongue. "He that offendeth not in word, the same is a 
perfect man." Jesus says, " A good man out of the good 
treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things ; and an 
evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil 
things. But I say unto you. That every idle word that 
men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the 
day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justi- 
fied, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matt, 
xii. 35-37. 

James says, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of in- 
iquity : so is the tongue among our members, that it de- 
file ththe WHOLE body, and setteth on fire the course ot na- 
ture; and it is set on fire of hell." James iii. 6. (Read 
the whole chapter.) 

Solomon says, " Death and life are in the power of the 
tongue : and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." 
Prov. xviii. 21. 

The majority of Church disturbances can be traced to 
unruly tongues. Duels, in which men shoot each other, 
family troubles and wreck of all peace and quiet, are its 
common work. Surely, a Christian, who professes to be 
the disciple of Him who is " the Prince of Peace," will 
endeavor not to "speak unadvisedly with his lips." 

One rule, if rigidly adhered to, would cure nearly all 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 157 

the deadly evil of the tongue : That is, never repeat 
words you hear if they will probably stir up anger. The 
tale-bearer is the most mischievous person in any neigh- 
borhood. He it is that " separateth chief friends." No 
Christian ought ever to say behind a person's back what 
he would not properly say before his face. If the tongue 
was brought under the control of these two rules, then 
might we look for the answer to the prayer that the 
'' wickedness of the wicked might come to an end," Treas- 
ure up the apostolic rule, " Speak evil of no man, to be 
no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all 
men." Titus iii. 2. 

There is another bad use of the tongue, which shows 
itself in obscene language : " Put off ... . filthy 
communication out of your mouth." Col. iii. 8. 

" Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your 
mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that 
it may minister grace unto the hearers." Eph. iv. 29. 

" Evil communications corrupt good manners." 1 Cor. 
XV. 33. 

"Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, 
which are not convenient : but rather giving of thanks," 
Eph. v. 4. 

Christians often violate these Scriptures to the injury 
of their Christian reputation, and to "pure* and unde- 
filed religion." Nothing so refines Christian ^character 
as chaste conversation. 

Another bad use of the tongue is the utterance of pro- 
fane words. While no Christian, who has any character 
for piety, would use profane language, yet such often of- 
fend in this particular by the repetition of profane 
oaths, in telling stories where frequently the oath is the 



158 CHUKCH members' guide 

most laughable part of the joke. The temptation is sa 
great that ministers of the gospel pronounce profane 
words in telling jokes with such gusto as to impress 
those who hear that he sees no harm in profanity. Min- 
isters in the pulpit often use the name of God in its dif- 
ferent forms in such connections as to border on profan- 
ity, and even blasphemy. Jesus said, '-Let your com- 
munication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is 
more than these cometh of evil." Matt. v. 37. 

All expletives are dangerous, and according to words 
of Jesus ought to be avoided. While the bad use of the 
tongue is an unmitigated evil, yet, "The tongue of the 
just is as choice silver." Prov. x. 20. "A word fitly 
spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Prov.. 
XXV. 11. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." Prov. 
XV. 1. If the Christian would use his tongue aright, he 
might with it minister comfort and consolation to the 
distressed and disconsolate. 

"He that will love life and see good days, let him re- 
frain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak 
no guile." 1 Peter iii. 10. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 159^ 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

TRIBULATIOX. 

'•Maa is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." 
Job V. 7. The greatest example of an afflicted man of 
God is found in Job, "'A perfect and upright man and one 
that feared God and eschewed evil." For purposes best 
known to God, He allowed the devil to afflict him as no 
other man was ever afflicted. When the heaviest stroke 
came, '^Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved 
his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshippd, 
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and 
naked shall I return thither : the Lord gave, and the 
Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord. 
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." 
Job i. 20-22. ''Ye have forgotten the exhortation which 
speaketh unto you as unto children, M}^ son, despise 
not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou 
art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chas" 
teneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If 
ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with 
sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are par- 
takers, then are ye bastards, and not sons . . . Now 
no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but 
grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peace- 
able fruit of righteousness unto them which are exer- 
cised thereby." Heb. xii. 5-11. 



160 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

"Affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth 
trouble spring out of the ground." Job v. 6. 

"But be thou partakers of the afflictions of the gospel 
according to the power of God, who hath saved us, and 
called us with an holy calling, not according to our 
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, 
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world be- 
gan." 2 Tim. 1-9. Many Christians think that when 
affliction comes upon them that it is sent as a punish- 
ment for some sin committed. The Scriptures which I 
have quoted show that God frequently sends afflictions 
upon "perfect and upright men," and they are used by 
him for the cultivation of Christian graces. 

No matter what befalls us in life, even things which 
are usually termed accidental, let us never lose sight of 
the fact that God's hand is in all the occurrences of life. 
** Not a sparrow falleth without him." In every one of 
these troubles, however small, let us feel that our Father 
is directing it all, and bear these afflictions with pa- 
tience, out of which will grow " experience and hope." 
Rom. V. 4 6; 1 Peter iv. 14-16; Ps. cxix. 67-75; Prov. 
3. 12. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 161 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
PATIENCE. 

" For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done 
the will of God, ye might secure the promise." Heb. 
31.36. 

"Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be 
perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James i. 4. 

" Be ye also patient; stablish your hearst]: for the com- 
ing of the Lord draweth nigh." James v. 8. 

" Knowing that tribulation worketh patience : And 
patience, experience ; and experience, hope ; and hope 
maketh not ashamed ; because the love of God is shed 
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given 
unto us." Rom. v, 4, 5. 

"Be patient towards all men." "1 Thes. v. 14. 

"In your patience possess ye your souls." Luke xxi. 
19. (Examine Luke viii. 15 ; Rom. viii. 25 ; Col. i. 11 ; 
1 Tim. vi. 11.) 

Although the Bible is rich in its teachings on this 
Christian grace, very few Christians cultivate this virtue 
so as to let " all who behold them take knowledge of them 
that they have been with Jesus." Religion is very often 
brought into contempt; by the impatient conduct of pro- 
fessing Christians, who stand high among the disciples 
of " the meek and lowly Jesus." 

The evil of impatience is seen most frequently at home 
in our every-day life, when we are met by constantly oc- 



162 

curring petty annoyances. It is here that children learn,> 
to contemn religion as it is illustrated by their parents. 
Young Christians ought to begin at once to let pa- 
tience have her perfect work. It will save them from 
many an heart pang. If this l^grace is neglected in the 
early life of a Christian, he will find himself growing 
more peevish and fretful as he advances in years ;: 
whereas, his last days ought to be his best days, and he- 
become riper for Heaven. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 163 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. 

" And be not conformed to this world : but be ye trans- 
formed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may 
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will 
of God." Rom. xii. 2. 

" Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, 
bearing his reproach, for here have we no continuing 
city, but we seek one to come." Heb. xiii. 13, 14. 

*' Love not the world, neither the things that are in 
the world. If any man love the world, the love of the 
Father is not in him. For all that is in the worlds 
the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the 
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof : but 
he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.'' 1 John 
ii. 15-17. 

There are a great many things done by worldly and 
godless people, in which professing Christians unite, 
such as dancing, card playing, horse racing, theatre-go- 
ing, etc. There are principles involved in dancing 
which ought to decide its sinfulness. The mere act of 
keeping time to music, of itself, may not be sinful. But 
when the two sexes unite in the dance so as to bring their 
persons in close contact, the inevitable result is to excite 
animal passions, which lead to impure thoughts, and 
possibly to impure conduct This sort of dancing ought 



164 CHURCH members' guide 

to be condemned by all churches which believe that 
Christians are " strangers and pilgrims, who should ab- 
stain from fleshlj lusts which war against the soul." 1 
Peter ii. 11. True Christians are " obedient children, 
not fashioning themselves according to former lusts in 
their ignorance." 1 Peter i. 14. 

On all questions where the Scriptures give no specific 
direction, every true Christian will be governed by the 
general principles laid down in the Word of God. When- 
ever he has doubts as to the propriety of anything, he 
should abstain from it, thus giving his conscience the 
benefit of his doubt. This is the only safe rule. 

Those professing Christians who are fond of such 
amusements say the Bible does not forbid them, and 
therefore there is no harm in their enjoyment. A Church 
has no right to make a specific rule where the Bible does 
not clearly state the rule, or principles underlying the 
rule. But where the Bible lays down a principle as 
clearly as " conformity to the world " is laid down above, 
every Church has a right to decide when one of its mem- 
bers gives indubitable evidence that "he loves the world, 
and that the love of the Father is not in him." It is a 
fact that all observant persons must have noticed that 
those members who are fond of all, or any one of these 
amusements above named, are generally negligent of 
their Church duties. No professing Christians, who 
find great pleasure in these things, take any pleasure in 
a prayer-meeting, or in any active exercise of Christian 
graces. 

They will very surely "forsake the assembling them- 
selves together" in obedience to God's command, and neg- 
lect other plainly defined duties. The members of the 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. . 165 

Church, whose duty it is to watch over each other, should 
try in all the ways enjoined in the Bible to reclaim such 
members, and if, after friendly admonitions, they still 
persist in such conformity as to result in neglect of 
Church duties, they (the erring members) should be- 
come proper subjects of Church discipline. It is a 
Christian duty to "abstain from all appearance of evil." 
1 Thes. V. 22. 

This Scripture, if obeyed, would keep every Christian 
from entering a drinking saloon, gambling den, dance 
room, or any place where worldly people would be sur- 
prised to see him. Whenever a professing Christian is 
frequently found in company with those who are not 
in the nabit of attending places of worship, he is in 
the path of the backslider. He will first quit attend- 
ing prayer-meetings (if he has been in the habit of at- 
tending), then he will begin coming late to Church ser- 
vice on Sunday, and taking his seat a little further back. 
Then he will not come at all. . Read the first Psalm^ 
where the gradation in falling away is sharply shown. 



166 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XL. 
HONESTY. 

"Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of 
the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 2 Cor. viii. 2L 
''That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any 
matter : because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, 
as we also have forewarned you and testified." 1 Thes. 
iv. 6. ''That ye may walk honestly towards them that 
are without." 1 Thes. iv. 12. 

Many professing Christians hold that so long as they 
deal with one another in such a way^that the law cannot 
deal with them as dishonest, they have complied with the 
requisitions of the gospel. The true spirit of the gospel 
embraces the largest liberality towards brethren. "Let 
no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." 
1 Cor. X. 24. 

"Look not every man on his own things, but every 
man on the things of others." Phil. ii. 4. 

A man can frequently take advantage of a brother's 
necessity and compel him to give more than the thing is 
worth; while man's law would not punish him for this 
act, he violates the law of God that requires him to con- 
sider his brother's wealth as well as his own, and to love 
his neighbor as himself Instances have been known of 
men borrowing money of a widow and in a few weeks 
going into bankruptcy. If a man borrows when he 
knows there is no probability of paying back, he com- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 167 

* 

<mits such a fraud as should sever his connection with 
the Church to which he belongs. Very great scandal has 
been brought on the cause of Christ by members of a 
Church being held in fellowship who have been guilty 
of this class of frauds. 

"The wicked borroweth and payeth not again." Ps. 
:x:xxvii. 21. 



168 CHURCH members' guide 



CHAPTER XLI. 
DEBT. 

"Owe no man anything, but to love one another/^ 
Rom. xiii. 8. 

"Render therefore to all their dues." Rom. xiii. 7. 

Debt is a great temptation to dishonesty. Many ex- 
pedients are often resorted to in order to be relieved from 
the payment ; such as taking homesteads, making over 
property to the wife and children after the debt has been 
contracted, going into bankruptcy, etc. 

Particularly is it unfortunate for a preacher to be in 
debt. He is often unable to pay when he desires sincerely 
to do so. 

The creditor is not usually very charitable in his judg- 
ment or remarks. Many a pastor has lost his power and 
influence in community from being in debt. This is 
not always his fault. He contracts debts upon promises 
that he will be paid a certain salary. If the salary is 
not paid, the sin lies at the door of those members who 
lail to pay their subscriptions to pastor's salar3^ It is a 
great shame and sin in any member of a Church to 
promise to pay a certain amount to a pastor, and then 
fail to fulfill the obligation, when it is in his power to do 
it. Our duty to pay what we promise to God's cause is 
paramount to every other obligation. God requires the 
''first fruits of all thine increased 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 169^ 



CHAPTER XLIL 
INDUSTRY. 

"Not SLOTHFUL in business." Rom. xii. 11. 

*'Seest thou a man diligent in his business ? he shall 
stand before kings ; he shall not stand before mean 
men." Prov. xxii. 29. 

"And labour, working with our own hands." 1 Cor. iv. 
12. 

"Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him 
labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, 
that he may have to give to him that needeth." Eph. 
TV. 28. 1 Thes. iv. 11. 

"For we hear that there are some which walk among 
you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy-bodies. 
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our 
Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and 
eat their own bread." 2 Thes. iii. 11, 12. 

These Scriptures require industry in our business. I 
have already called attention to many passages requiring 
activity and labor in God's spiritual kingdom — ''the 
vineyard of the Lord." 

A lazy Christian is a disgrace to his profession. God 
will not hold him guiltless. 

"But if any provide not for his own, and especially for 
those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is 
worse than an infidel." 1 Tim. v. 8. 

Many professing Christians quote this passage as an 



170 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

excuse for neglecting the '' assembling themselves to- 
gether" for worship and prayer. God never intends that 
one duty should supplant another. A man whose heart 
is in the spiritual service of God will always be " glad 
when they say, let us go up to the house of the Lord.'' 
He will always arrange his work so that he can attend 
all meetings without injury to his business. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 171 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

HOSPITALITY. 

"Use hospitality one to another without grudging." 1 
Peter iv. 9. 

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers : for thereby 
some have entertained angels unawares." Heb. xiii. 2. 

"Distributing to the necessity of saints ; given to hos- 
pitality." Rom. xii. 13. 

A bishop "must be given to hospitality." 1 Tim. iii. 2- 

A bishop must also be 'a lover of hospitality." Titus 
i. 8. 

Many professing Christians utterly ignore this teach- 
ing of the Holy Scriptures. If, in the providence of God, 
a weary brother in his journey shoiild call for entertain- 
ment for a night, he should not be rudely told, " No 
(when there may be abundance of room in the house, and 
an abundant supply of provisions, both for himself and 
horse), simply because he may have a rough exterior. 

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers : for thereby 
some have entertained angels unawares." Heb. xiii. 2. 

Brethren who live in the country are much more 
"given to hospitality" than those living in towns. To 
most of these it is a great pleasure to entertain a brother. 
On the other hand, should a professing Christian use his 
profession as a passport to another's hospitality, when he 
has abundant means himself, and when out on his own 
l)Uiiness, simply to save a hotel bill, he ought not to be 



172 CHURCH members' guide 

permitted to thus prostitute the pure and simple religion, 
of Jesus. At Baptist associations brethren are generally- 
profuse in their hospitality. If they were as prompt in 
discharging the other duties of Christians, they would 
deserve the highest commendation. 



FOR BAPTIST CUURCHES. 173 



CHAPTER XLIV. 
COURTESY. 

"Love as brethren; be pitiful, be courteous." 1 Peter 
iii. 8. 

^'Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly 
love; in honour preferring one another." Rom. xii. 10. 

"But in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better 
than themselves." Phil. ii. 3. 

"Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father ; 
and the younger men as brethren ; the elder women as 
mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity." 1 
Tim. V. 1. 

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive ; but be 
gentle unto all men." 2 Tim. ii. 24. 

"To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gen- 
tle, showing all meekness unto all men." Titus iii. 2. 

In all these quotations the word gentle occurs several 
times. From this word gentlemen is derived. In short, 
every Christian man ought to be a gentleman. Of 
course, all of these Christ-like qualities apply to women 
as well as men. These injunctions of the Scripture re- 
quire the Christian to be deferentially polite in ail his 
intercourse, especially to those of the household of faith. 
At associations, many occasions present themselves for 
the exercise of this grace. Often brethren ofifer the hos- 
pitality of their homes, who are not able to furnish the 
conveniences and comforts to which one has been accus- 



174 CHURCH members' guide 

tomed. True Christian courtesy will be shown by "eat- 
ing such things as they set before you" (Luks x. 8) in 
such a way as to make the householders feel easy in their 
hospitality. Here it is where the scriptural injunction 
to "condescend to men of low estate" may be acted out 
with true Christian courtesy. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 175 



CHAPTER XLV. 
WEAK BRETHREN. 

'^Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to 
doubtful disputations. For one belie veth that he may 
eat all things : another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let 
not him that eateth despise him that eateth not ; and let 
not him that eateth not judge him that eateth : for God 
hath received him. Who art thou that judgeth another 
man's servant? To his own master he standeth or fall- 
eth. Yea, he shall be holden up : for God is able to make 
him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another : 
another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be 
fully persuaded in his own mind." Rom. xiv. 1-5. 

"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: 
but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling- 
block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I 
know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is 
nothing unclean in itself: but to him that esteemeth 
anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy 
brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not 
charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom 

Christ died It is good neither to eat flesh, 

nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother 

stumbleth, or is oflended, or is made weak 

And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he 
eateth not of faith : for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." 
Rom. xiv. 13-23. "We then that are strong ought ta 



176 CHURCH members' guide 

bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please our- 
selves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his 
good to edification. For even Christ pleased not him- 
self; but as it is written, The reproaches of them that 
reproached thee fell on me." Rom. xv. 1-3. 

"But meat commendeth us not to God; for neither, if we 
eat, are we the better ; neither, if we eat not, are we the 
worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of 
yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak. 
For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat 
in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him 
vrhich is weak be emboldened to eat those things which 
are offered to idols ; and through thy knowledge shall the 
weak brother perish, for whom Christ died ? But when 
ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak 
conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat 
make my brother to ofiend, I will eat no flesh while the 
world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." 1 Cor. 
viii. 8-13. 

''Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which 
are spiritual restore such an one in tJae spirit of meek- 
ness ; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear 
ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." 
Gal. vi. 1, 2. 

Governed by the principles involved in these Scrip- 
tures, a Christian who desires to please God will submit 
to many inconveniences, and deny himself many indul- 
gences, rather than wound the weak conscience of his 
brother, or do any act which would likely lead a weak 
brother into sin. 

Many Christians make it a conscientious duty to do 
things not commanded, irom mistaken view of God's 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 177 

Word. They are generally men of ardent temperament, 
who take up an idea that a certain thing is sinful, where 
the Word of God is silent : such, for instance, as the use of 
tobacco ; such men become finally fanatical. The ten- 
dency among those Christians who see no harm in the 
custom, whatever it may be, is to thrust off such with 
contempt. 

The principle so clearly laid down by St. Paul in the 
Scriptures quoted lies at the foundation of all true tem- 
perance movements. Let all Christians ponder and act 
in the spirit of these words of revelation, and very much 
of the evils of intemperance will be banished from the 
world and the Churches be greatly purified. 

Nearly every Church has one or more "cranks" — men 
whose heads are not well balanced. It often happens that 
these brethren are kind and loving when you' touch their 
hearts, but no argument can reach their brains. Great 
forbearance ought to be exercised towards them. So long 
as they do not refuse to hear the Church, they should be 
treated with great kindness and forbearance. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 
DRUNKENNESS. 

As it is a favorite charge against Baptists that they are 
fond of liquors or intoxicating drinks, I give some of the 
Scriptures warning Christians against these drinks : 

"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that 
puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, 
12 



178 CHURCH members' guide 

that thou mayest look on their nakedness ; the cup of 
the Lord's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and 
shameful spewing shall be on thy glory." Habakkuk ii. 
15, 16. 

"Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, 
that they may follow strong drink ; that continue until 
night, till wine inflame them ! And the harps, and the 
yiol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feast: 
but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither con- 
sider the operation of his hands." .... "Woe unto 
them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of 
strength to mingle strong drink : Which justify the 
wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of 
the righteous from him." Isav. 11, 12 22,23. 

"But and if that one servant shall say in his hearty 
My Lord delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to smite 
his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the 
drunken ; The lord of that servant shall come in a day 
when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is 
not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him 
his portion with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping 
and gnashing of teeth," Matt. xxiv. 48-51. 

"Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts 
be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and 
cares of this life, and so that day come upon you un- 
awares." Luke xxi. 34. 

"Let us walk honestly, as in the day ; not in rioting 
and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, 
not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the 
lusts thereof." Rom. xiii. 13, 14. 

"And every man that striveth for the mastery is tern- 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 179 

perate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corrupt- 
ible crown ; but we an incorruptible." 1 Cor. ix. 25. 

"For they that sleep sleep in the night ; and they that 
are drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who 
are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of 
faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation." 
1 Thes. V. 7, 8. 

"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly 
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in 
this present world ; Looking for that blessed hope, and 
the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour 
Jesus Christ." Titus ii. 12, 13. 

"Add to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, 
patience." 2 Peter i. 6. 

''Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revil- 
ers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God." 
1 Cor. vi. 10. 

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are 
these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lascivious- 
ness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, 
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, 
drunkenness, revelings and such like ; of the which I 
"tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that 
they which do such things shall not inherit the king- 
dom of God." Gal. V. 19-21. 

"And be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the 
-Spirit." Eph. V. 18. 

"It is not for kings, 0, Lemuel, it is not for kings to 
drink wine; nor .for princes strong drink, lest they 
drink and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any 
of the afflicted." Prov. xxxi. 4, 5. 

"Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of 



180 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is fading flowers, which? 
are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are over- 
come with wine. The crown of pride, the drunkards of 
Ephraim shall be trodden under foot. But they also 
have erred through wine, and through strong drink are 
out of the way ; the priest and the prophet have erred 
through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine,. 
they are out of the way through strong drink ; they err 
in vision, they stumble in judgment." Isa. xxviii. 1-7. 

"Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou nor thy 
sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the 
congregation, lest ye die." Lev. x. 9. 

"Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter 
into the inner court." Ezek. xliv. 21. 

The Scriptures above quoted contain the prohibition 
on the use of intoxicating drinks. Let us turn to a few 
giving the evil efiects.or results of drinking. 

"For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to pov- 
erty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Who 
hath woe ? Who hath sorrow ? Who hath contentions ?' 
Who hath babblings? Who hath wounds without 
cause ? Who hath redness of eyes ? They that tarry 
long at the wine ; they that go to seek mixed wine. 
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it 
giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 
At the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an 
adder." Prov. xxiii. 25, 29-32. 

It should be observed that drunkenness is classed with 
the most "debasing fruits of the flesh." And remember 
that the Bible declares that "no drunkard shall enter 
into the kingdom of heaven." The testimony of Scrip- 
ture, as well as the observation of all men, agree that 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 181 

those who contract the habit of drinking are in great 
danger of becoming drunkards; that the excessive use of 
intoxicating drinks develop the worst passions of the 
human heart. Notwithstanding all this, many profess- 
ing Baptists throw their influence in favor of the traffic 
in these liquors, and even engage themselves in the man- 
ufacture and sale of it. No church ought to hold in fel- 
lowship a man who retails intoxicating liquors by the 
drink. He is the man upon whom the first Scriptures 
declare a ''woe" shall rest. A man upon whom God pro- 
nounces a ''woe" ought not to be retained in fellowship 
by one of God's Churches. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 
MODERATION. 

" Let your moderation be known unto all men." Phil, 
iv. 5. 

Many Christians " cause their way to be evil spoken 
of" by their excesses. Sometimes they are urged on by 
a " zeal without knowledge," and repel those whom they 
would persuade. Some become, at times, very much ex- 
cited on the subject of religion, when they say and do 
unreasonable and unscriptural things. 

Of course, in the nature of the case, there must be a 
reaction, when they are as much below the mark of true 
piety as they were above it for the first instance. This 
Christian duty ought to be exhibited on all occasions in 
presence of " all men." Immoderate eating and drink- 



182 CHURCH members' guide 

ing, * immoderate sleeping, immoderate labor, immod- 
erate amusement, immoderate talk, immoderate use of 
anything that may, in itself, be allowable is a violation 
of this precept cited above. This Christian virtue is of 
great value to all those Christians whom Providence has 
called into public life. Politicians are particularly liable 
to transgress this divine injunction. It is one of the 
highest among Christian attainments to act with mod- 
eration in a political campaign. • 

Very few Christian statesmen have emerged from the 
arena of politics without the '' smell of fire upon their 
garments.'' Brethren, whose lot is cast among the poli- 
ticians of the country, need constant watchfulness and 
prayer on their own part, and should have the sympathy 
and prayers of their brethren that they may not bring 
disgrace upon their " high calling." 



CHAPTER XLYIII. 

CHRISTIAN DUTY TO GOVERNMENT. 

" Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. 
For there is no power but of God ; the powers that be are 
ordained of God. Whosoever therefore that resisteth the 
power resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that re- 
sist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers 
are not a terror to good works, but to evii. Wilt thou 

*Many Christians destroy their efficiency and shorten their lives hy 
eating and drinking immoderately those things which it may be- 
proper and right for them to eat and drink in moderation. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 183 

then not be afraid of the power ? do that which is good^ 
and thou shalt have praise of the same : For he is the 
minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that 
which is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth not the sword in 
vain : for he is the minister of God, a revenger to exe- 
cute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye 
must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for 
conscience' sake." Rom. xiii. 1-5. 

" Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and 
powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good 
work." Titus iii. 1. 

" Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the- 
Lords sake : whether it be to the king as supreme, or 
unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for 
the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them 
that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well- 
doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish 
men ; as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of 
maliciousness, but as the servants of God." 1 Peter ii. 
13-16. 

In that memorable sermon on the mount we find the 
first allusion to the law of the land, Matt. v. 38-40, "Ye 
have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye and 
a tooth for a tooth : But I say unto you, That ye resist 
not evil : but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right 
cheek, turn to him the other also; And if any man will sue 
thee at the laiu, and takeaway thy coat, let him have thy 
cloak also." It is worthy of notice that this first allusion to 
the political power of the country was to a court of just- 
ice, where politics has as little influence as in any de- 
partment of government. And yet his teaching is, that 
as Christians, men should keep aloof from the strife nee- 



184 CHURCH members' guide 

essary to obtain their rights by course of law. Better 
give up the "cloak" if the "coat" is taken. It must not 
be inferred that the Saviour intended here to settle the 
question of civil rights of a Christian man as a citizen. 
But it certainly does fix the principle that Christians, as 
Christians, should not be contentious, even in questions 
settled by courts of law. The next utterance on the sub- 
ject is found in Matt. x. 18-21, "And ye shall be brought 
before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony 
against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver 
you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; 
for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall 
speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your 
Father which speaketh in you." It will be observed 
that the Saviour takes another step, and speaks now of 
^'governors and kings." What could more perfectly de- 
scribe the complete and entire separation between Chris- 
tianity and politics than the directions here given by 
the "King of kingsj?" Do not so much as reflect upon 
what sort of defense you will make when arraigned. Do 
not take time to fix up a speech. What it may be nec- 
essary for you to say, I will give it to you in the hour of 
need. Let the action of men in authority, "governors 
-and kings," give you no concern. 

The next thing recorded of the conduct of the Saviour 
toward the ruling power is found in Matt. xiv. 3-14, 
"For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and 
put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Phil- 
ip's wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful 
for thee to have her. But when they would have put 
him to death, he feared the multitude, because they 
counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 185 

was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, 
and pleased Herod. "Whereupon he promised with an 
oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, 
being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me 
here John Baptist's head in a charger. And the 
king was sorry : nevertheless, for the oath's sake, and 
them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to 
be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in pris- 
on. And the head was brought in a charger, and given 
to the damsel : and she brought it to her mother. And 
his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried 
it, and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard of it, 
he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart." 

Although it was *'by Him that kings rule," He said 
nothing and did nothing, which in any way interfered 
with -this act of the ruling power, wicked as it was. His 
conduct in this instance clearly teaches that his ''king- 
dom is not of this world," and should not, in the least 
degree, be complicated with human government. 

Again, Matt. xvii. 24-27, "And when they were come 
to Capernaum, they that received tribute money 
came to Peter, and said, doth not your master pa}^ trib- 
ute? He saith. Yes. And when he was come into the 
house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou- 
Simon ? of whom do the kings of the earth take cus- 
tom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers ? 
Peter saith to him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him. 
Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we 
should offend them, go thou to the sea, an cast an hook, 
and take up the fish that first cometh up ; and when 
thou hast opened his mouth, thou shaft find a piece of 
money : that take and give unto them for me and thee." 



186 CHURCH members' guide 

In this transaction an unjust claim was made by the 
officer of the government upon Jesus and His disciples. 
There is not the least intimation that He intended to 
change or give direction in matters of government. On 
the other hand, he submitted without formal protest to 
the demands of the government, though he had to per- 
form a miracle to do it. The principle was thus estab- 
lished, that it is better for Christians to submit to even 
an unjust or illegal requirement of government than to 
o£fend them. This instance of non-action affords a clear 
intimation that there should be no connection, whatever, 
between the organization which Jesus Christ was per- 
fecting dud political organizations. 

Matt. XX. 20-28 we read, "Then came to him the 
mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping 
him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said 
unto her. What wilt thou ? She saith unto him, Grant 
that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right 
hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But 
Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask." . . 

Ye kDow that the princes of the Gentiles exercise do- 
minion over them, and they that are great exercise au- 
thority upon them. But it shall not be so among you, but 
whosoever will be great among you let him be your min- 
ister; and whosoever will be chief among you let him be 
your servant, even as the Son of man came not to be 
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a 
ransom for many." 

The mother of Zebedee's children evidently enter- 
tained the idea so common among the Jews that Jesus 
had come to set up a temporal kingdom, and with the 
natural ambition of a mother for the promotion of her 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 18T 

sons, made application to what she thought was the head 
of the new government, in behalf of her sons, that they 
might be placed next in authority to Him. Jesus re- 
buked her with the remark, "Ye know not what ye 
ask," and then continues to disabuse her mind and the 
minds of the disciples of the erroneous idea that they 
were to look for political preferment as His disciples f 
that true honor in His kingdom was to serve and not to 
be served. Let the ^'princes of the Gentiles" (meaning 
the world) exercise ''authority" and "dominion," but I 
would have you remember that my "kingdom is not of 
this world," and should not have any connection what- 
ever with the governments of earth. The question pro- 
pounded at Capernaum was again asked, Matt, xxii.17-22^ 
"Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou ? Is it lawful to 
give tribute te Caesar or not. But Jesus perceived their 
wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 
Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him 
a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image 
and superscription'? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then 
saith he unto them, Render therefore, unto Csesar the 
things which are Caesar's ; and to God the things that are 
God's." 

There is no difficulty in understanding what Jesus 
meant by these words. He meant in the first place to 
confound the hypocritical Pharisee by disclaiming all in- 
tention of raising a rebellion against the ruling power. 
And second, that while Christians owed duties to Caesar, 
representing the governing authority, which should be 
faithfully "rendered," they owed duties to God which 
must be as faithfully performed, but they were separate 
and distinct duties and should not be complicated the 



188 CHURCH members' guide 

one with the other. Not the least intimation of Church 
and state here. 

The next utterance of Christ on the subject of the re- 
lation of His kingdom to human government is found in 
Matt. XX vi. 51-54 : "Behold one of them which were with 
Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and 
struck a servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear. 
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword unto 
his place : for all they that take the sword, shall perish 
with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray 
to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than 
twelve legions of angels ? But how then shall the scrip- 
tures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?" No language 
could more clearly set forth the doctrine that the king- 
dom of Jesus Christ is not of this world. Peter, impul- 
sive and loyal to his Master, with the idea still in his 
mind that Jesus would reign in the room of His father, 
David, struck the first blow in the revolution which he 
supposed had been inaugurated. Jesus rebukes him in 
the remarkable language, "they that take the sword shall 
perish with the sword," at the same time reminding him 
that He could call for twelve legions of angels to enforce 
His temporal deliverance if it were His purpose to exer- 
cise temporal authority. 

John xviii. 33-37, "Then Pilate entered into the judg- 
ment-hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him. Art 
thou the King of the Jews ? Jesus answered him, Say- 
est thou this of thyself, or did others tell thee of me ? 
Pilate answered. Am E a Jew ? Thine own nation and 
the chief priests have delivered thee unto me : what hast 
thou done ? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this 
world : if my kingdom were of this world, then would 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 189 

my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the 
Jews : but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate 
therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus an- 
swered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I 
born, and for this cause came I into the world, that 1 
should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of 
the truth heareth my voice." 

It will be perceived that the question was propounded 
directly by Pilate as to the purpose of Jesus with regard 
to His temporal authority as a king. A more conclusive 
answer could not have been given than that which Jesus 
gave. He clearly disavows any intention to establish a 
temporal kingdom, and closes by stating the purpose of 
His birth and life : that it was simply a testimony to 
the truth. John xix. 9-11. " And (Pilate) went again 
into the judgment-hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art 
thou. But Jesus gave him no answer. Then said Pilate 
unto him, Speakest thou not unto me ? Knowest thou not 
that 1 have power to crucify thee and have power to 
release thee ? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no 
power at all against me, except it was given thee from 
above." 

While Jesus persists in having nothing at all to do 
with the governments of this world. He asserts that the 
power which the governor exerts is derived from above, 
and therefore is exercised by His permission. Thus 
while He has all power to control the government, He 
takes no steps to control the action of those in authority, 
but quietly submits to whatever punishment that gov- 
ernment sees fit to inflict upon Him. 

He is crucified under the forms of law (though irregu- 
lar, and administered by a man who was a disgrace 



190 CHURCH MEMBEKS' GUIDE 

to the legal profession), making no resistance, though as- 
serting His power to do so. It would seem that if there 
ever was an occasion when it would be proper for divine 
authority to interpose and arrest governmental proceed- 
ings, this was the time and occasion. A better illustra- 
tion of the non-interference policy of Christianity with 
the affairs of government could not be produced. Jesus 
dies on the cross by permission of a weak ruler, and is 
buried. He rises the third da}^ according to prophecy, 
and appears to two as they were walking towards Em- 
maus, " and they talked together of all these things 
which had happened. And it came to pass, that while 
they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself 
drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were 
holden, that they should not know him. And he said 
unto them. What manner of communications are these 
that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad ? 
And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answer- 
ing, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusa- 
lem, and hast not known the things which are come to 
pass therein these days ? And he said unto them, What 
things ? And they said unto him, concerning Jesus of 
Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word 
before God and all the people: and how the chief priests 
and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, 
and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been 

he which should have redeemed Israel 

Then he said unto them, Oh fools, and slow of heart to 
believe all that the prophets have spoken : Oaght not 
Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his 
glory ? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 191 

expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things 
concerning himself." Luke xxiv. 14-21, 25-27. 

We have seen that all the utterances of Jesus after He 
commenced His public ministry have been uniformly to 
one and the same point, that His kingdom is not of this 
world. On no occasion did he ever interfere with or at- 
tempt to control the free action of those who were in au- 
thority. He submitted without complaint to the decis- 
ions of the ruling power, and rebuked His disciples 
whenever they departed from the principle of non-inter- 
ference with those who "bore the sword." 

After His resurrection, in the interview with the two 
disciples on the way to Emmaus, He gave expression in 
strong language of condemnation, " oh fools," when they 
said " but we trusted that it had been he which should 
have redeemed Israel." They showed by this expression 
that they were disappointed in the hope that He would 
establish a kingdom on earth where he would reign as a 
King in the place of His father David. In His explana- 
tion of what "Moses and all the prophets" had said 
about Him, He doubtless clearly taught them that it was 
no part of His. mission on earth to interfere with human 
government. 

Here ends the personal teaching of Jesus on the sub- 
ject of the relation of Christianity to human government. 
What was taught on the subject after the resurrection 
will be based upon what the Apostles and their associates 
said and did in the years immediately succeeding the as- 
cension of Christ. The facts are found in the Ecclesiasti- 
cal History by Dr. Luke. 

Acts iv. 1. " And as they (Peter and John) spake unto 
the people, the^priests, and the captain of the temple, and 



192 CHUKCH members' guide 

the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they 
taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resur- 
rection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, 
and put them in hold unto the next day." 
" And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, 
By what power, or by what name, have ye done this ?" 
(Peter said), "Be it known unto you all, and to all the 
people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Naz- 
areth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the 
dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you 
whole." . . . After the council held a private con- 
sultation, they called in the Apostles, " and commanded 
them not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of 
Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto 
them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken 
unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot 
but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 
(v. 18 20.) The reader will notice that the Apostles made 
no point with these rulers as to their right to take con- 
trol of all civil matters, nor did they appeal to a higher 
tribunal to protect them ; but boldly announced their 
determination to be guided by their convictions, and 
preach Jesus to the people. They saw in this transac- 
tion the fulfillment of prophecy, and rejoiced greatly in 
the fact that the time had come when the "kings of the 
earth had gathered themselves," breaking out in his ec- 
static prayer, "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings : 
and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they 
may speak thy word, by stretching forth their hands to 
heal ; and that signs and wonders may be done by the 
name of thy holy child Jesus." (v. 29-30.) 
This whole transaction shows that the Apostles had 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 193 

no thought of interfering with the governing power 
or of taking any steps in order to subvert, or even re- 
form it, by putting in better men. They now feel the 
force of Jesus' declaration to Peter, that his "Kingdom 
was not of this world." Again, Acts v. 18-29, we find 
an account of the arrest and imprisonment of these 
Apostles. They had been delivered from their former 
imprisonment by miraculous power, and had gone into 
the temple where they taught the people. They were 
again brought before the council, ''and the high priests 
asked them, saying, "Did not we command you not to 
teach in this name ?" Then Peter and the other Apostles 
answered and said, "We ought to obey God rather than 
man." Here the Apostles laid down the principle very 
clearly, that their first duty was to God as the Supreme 
Ruler — that whenever governmental authority was so 
exercised as to oppose the authority of God, it was their 
duty to disregard the council and obey the divine 
law. This they did with undaunted courage and with- 
out any concealment, ready to meet the consequences^ 
without forming any plan of resistance. While the peo- 
ple were deeply moved in their favor, so that it is re- 
peatedly stated in the accounts, that the officers "feared 
the people," and were compelled by popular opinion to 
act with caution, yet we see that the Apostles never took 
advantage of this popular sentiment to overturn the gov- 
ernment or interfere in the slightest degree with the 
exercise of all the power it had. In Acts xii. we have 
the account of Herod's killing James and arresting Peter 
and casting him into prison, and how God again inter- 
posed by a miracle in his behalf, without violently op- 
13 



194 CHURCH members' guide 

posing the measures of government. Let us pass on to 
where Paul appears on the stage. Acts xvi. 19, "They 
caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market- 
place unto the rulers, and brought them to the magis- 
trates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly 
trouble our city, And teach customs which it is not law- 
ful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 
And the multitude rose up together against them : and 
the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to 
beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon 
them they cast them into prison." The remarkable events 
of that night are familiar to all Bible readers (v. 35). ''And 
when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, say- 
ing, Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison 
told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to 
let you go : now therefore depart, and go in peace. But 
Paul said unto them. They have beaten us openly un- 
condemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison ; 
and now do they thrust us out privily ? nay, verily ; but 
let them come themselves and fetch us out." 

Here again God has allowed the ruling power, without 
let or hinderance, to arrest and punish His servants. Paul 
admits the civil power of the rulers and claims in a 
manly way his rights as a Roman citizen, but no immu- 
nity as a Christian. Never in the history of Christianity 
was there a fitter occasion, and never had there appeared 
a man better qualified to be a leader of a revolution to 
overturn a tyrannical government, and introduce the the- 
ocratic element than this. Had it been the design of the 
Almighty to mix the religion of the Bible with the gov- 
ernments of earth, it seems that He would have made this 
he occasion and selected this as the time. We look into 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 195 

the "Acts of the Apostles" for direction in the practical 
working of Christianity as a system. Bat we look in 
vain for any intention in this transaction to unite 
-Church and State. If we follow Paul through the tedi- 
ous trial before Felix, Festus and Agrippa, we will ob- 
serve at every step that he claimed nothing of the ruling 
power, but protection as a Roman citizen from the vio- 
lence of a furious mob. He was bold and manly in the 
■declaration that he was a sincere believer in the cruci- 
fied and risen Christ. But always polite and deferential 
to those in authority — never threatening the wrath of 
■God against the rulers if they dared to punish him while 
he was obeying God as he understood his duty. 

He patiently endured imprisonment, never claiming 
•anything from those in authority on account of his being 
the servant of God, but simply as a citizen, he had a 
common right with every Roman citizen, to teach any 
doctrine which did not interfere with the equal rights 
of others. He declared, "For if I be an ofifender, or have 
committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die. 
But if there be none of these things whereof these ac- 
cuse me, no man may deliver me unto them, I appeal 
unto Ceasar." 

While patiently awaiting legal action in his case, he 
•was busily employed in preaching Christ and Him cruci- 
ified to those who looked upon him as a criminal. For 
two whole years he lived in "his own hired house." At 
^no time do we find him denouncing the government or 
€laiming that the state should support him while he was 
engaged in propagating the doctrines of the Christian 
irelisjion. Never has he declared or intimated that it was 



196 CHURCH members' guide 

the duty of any government to provide for the religious 
teachers of the people. 

All that Baptists have ever asked of government i& 
to be let alone in their religious faith, and to be protected 
from the oppression of those who may be disposed to 
persecute them. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRISTIANS. 

1st. They are "kings" (Rev. i. 6, 1 Cor. iv. 8). There- 
fore, they should not do any low or mean act, which 
would disgrace the king. 

2d. They are ''priests" (1 Peter ii. 9). Therefore, they 
should be pure, as they are allowed to come boldly to 
the throne of grace. 

3d. They are the "temple of God" (2 Cor. vi. 16). 
Therefore, they should drive oat everything that would 
make them the den of thieves. 

4th. They are "soldiers" (1 Tim. i. 18, 2 Cor. x. 4). 
Therefore, they should obey orders, and bravely contend 
against the wiles of the devil. 

5th. They are the "stewards of the manifold grace of 
God" (1 Cor. iv. 1-3). Therefore, they should be "faith- 
ful" to every trust. 

6th. They are ''epistles" (2 Cor. iii. 2-4). Therefore^. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 197 

nothing should be in the epistles but such things as 
would be instructive and useful to "all men b}^ whom 
they are read." 

7th. They are ''lively stones" (1 Peter ii. 5). There- 
fore, they should be "polished," and squared by the line 
and plummet. 

8th. They "shall judge the world" (1 Cor. vi. 1-6). 
Therefore, they should have the "wisdom that is gentle 
and easy to be entreated from above, first pure, then 
peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits, without par- 
tiality and without hypocrisy." James iii. 17. 

9fch. "All things are theirs" (1 Cor. iii. 21-23). There- 
fore, they should be "willing to communicate," and 
"ready for every good word and work." 

10th. They are "the light of the world" (Matt. v. 14). 
Therefore, they should "let their light so shine before 
men that they may see their good works, and glorify 
their Father which is in heaven." 

11th. They are the "salt of fhe earth" (Matt. v. 13). 
Therefore, they should, by their pure lives and kindly 
admonitions, keep men from corrupting sins. 

12th. They are a "peculiar people." Titus ii. 14; 1 Pe- 
ter ii. 9. 

Therefore, it should never be necessary for them to 
announce the fact that they are Christians. They ought 
to be so "zealous of g3od works" "that all may take 
knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus." 
Acts iv. 13. 

There is a great deal of unrest and perplexity on the 
subject of Eternal Life. This chapter will be closed with 



198 CHURCH members' guide 

its discussion. "If any man be in Christ he is a nev^r 
creature." 2 Cor. v. 17. 

"Ye must be born again." John iii. 7. 

"This is life eternal that they might know thee the 
only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. 
And I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never 
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my 
hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than 
all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's 
hand." John x. 28, 29. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath be- 
gotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of 
Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorrupt- 
ible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in 
heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God 
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the 
last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a 
season, if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold 
temptations; That the trial of your faith, being much 
more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be 
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour 
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ : Whom hav- 
ing not seen ye love, in whom, though now ye see him 
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and 
full of glory : receiving the end of your faith, even the 
salvation of your souls." 1 Peter i. 3-9. 

It will be seen from these Scriptures that when men 
become Christians they receive Eternal Life, which is- 
secured to them by its author, Jesus Christ. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 



19^ 



EARTH. DIFFERENCE. HEAVEN. 

There they shall see him 
"face to face." 



"Here they see throng] i j 
a glass darkly." 1 Cor. xiii 
12. 



Here they shall know in 
part. 



Here they carry about a 
"body of death." Rom. vii. 
24. 



Here they "are troubled 
on every side" 2 Cor. iv. 8. 



Here they *'are tossed up 
and down." Ps. cix. 23. 



There they ''shall know 
even as they are known." 
gl Cor. xiii. 12. 

fa 



There ''this mortal shall 
^put on immortality and 
bthis corruptible incorrup- 
^tion." 1 Cor. xv. 54. 

There " the wicked cease 
from troubling." 

There "the weary be at 
rest." Job iii. 17. 



The moving power in this Eternal Life is love. "For 
thelove of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, 
that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he 
died for all, that they which live should not henceforth 
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, 
and rose again." 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. 

Thus moved, they inquire, "Lord, what wilt thou have 
us to do ?" What their hands find to do they do with all 
their might. Having "holiness to the Lord" printed upon 
all that they have, even to "the horses' bells." Account- 
ing that the}^, and all they have belong to the Lord, they 
enjoy the things that God has given, "richly to enjoy," 
"using as not abusing them." Believing that the Judge 



200 CHURCH members' GUIDE 

of the earth will do right, they ''patiently wait upon the 
Lord." 

Their duties being confined to earth, they daily walk 
with God, not troubling themselves about dying grace, 
but ever praying for grace 'sufficient unto their day." 
They waste no time in trying to conceive of what God 
has in reserve for them in heaven —forming pictures of 
golden streets and pearly gates — dreaming about things 
not revealed ; but faithfully discharge the duties of each 
day, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. After 
that they have run with patience the race set before them, 
never being satisfied with present attainments, they fall 
asleep in Jesus, and will be satisfied when they "awake 
in his likeness." 



CHAPTER L. 

€ONFESSIOIs^ OF FAITH— COMMONLY ACCEPTED BY 
REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 

As the Georgia Baptist Association was the first asso- 
ciation formed in Georgia, and has held a prominent 
position, not only among Georgia Baptists, but among 
Baptists throughout the Southern States, I have selected 
its Confession of Faith as one which probably meets the 
views of the largest number of Baptists. 

" Whereas, it has been found expedient for Churches 
of Jesus Christ, within convenient distances of each other, 
to be in some way associated, in order to promote mutual 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 



201 



piety, and to secure unity of faith, harmony of feeling, 
-and concert of action in religious enterprise, we there" 
fore, messengers of the following named Churches,' 
(Here follow the names of the forty-five Churches), "do 
hereby set forth the following articles as the basis on 
which said Churches propose to associate." 



" And this is life 
eternal, that they 
might know thee the 
only true God, and 
Jesus Christ, whom 
thou hast sent." John 
xvii. 3. 



ARTICLE 1st. 

We believe in the 
only true and liv- 
ing God, and that 
there is a Trinity 
of Persons in the 
God head, the Fath- 
er, the Son and the 
Holy Spirit; and 
yet are not three 
Gods, but one God. 



"This is the true 
God and eternal life." 
1 John V. 20. 

" I and ray Father 
are one." John s. 30. 



''For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the 
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three 
are one." 1 John, v. 7. 

"I have made the earth and created man upon it. I 
even my hands have stretched out the heavens and all 
their host have I commanded." Isa. xlv. 12. 

''The might}^ God, the everlasting Father, the Prince 
of Peace." Isa. ix. 6. 

'•In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was 
with God, and the Word was God. .... All things 
were made by him ; and without him was not anything 
made that was made." John i. 13. 

" Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born 



202 



CHURCH members' GUIDE 



of every creature: For by him were all things created, 
that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and 
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or prin- 
cipalities, or powers : all things were created by him 
and for him : And he is before all things, and by him 
all things consist." Col. i. 15-17. 

''The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of 
the Almighty hath given me life." Job xxxiii. 4. 

Note, — The Association was first organized in 1784. This confession 
was revised in 1861. 

ARTICLE 2d. 



''All scripture is 
given by inspiration of 
God, and is profitable 
for doctrine, for re- 
proof, for correction, 
for instruction in 
righteousness ; that 
the man of God may 
be perfect, thoroughly 
furnished unto all 
good works.' 2 Tim. 
iii. 16, 17. 



" We believe that 
the Scriptures of the 
Old and Neiv Tes- 
taments are the 
Word of God, and 
that they are the 
only rule of faith 
and practice.''^ 



" The testimony of 
the Lord ia sure mak- 
ing wise the simple." 
Ps. xix. 7. 



" What thing soever I command you observe to do it. 
Thou shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it." Deut. 
xii. 32. 

" If any man shall add unto these things, God 
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this 
book : and if any man shall take away from the words of 
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part 
out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from 
the things which are written in this book." Rev. xxii. 
18, 19. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 203' 

ARTICLE 3d. 

"Wherefore, as by " We believe inthe "Behold I was shap- 

one man sin entered f^jj ^f Arlnm ■ nrnrl en in iniquity, and in 

into the world, and mi^ OJ Jiaam, ^ ana gijj ^.^ ^y mother 

death by sin; and so in the imputation Of conceive me." Ps.li.5. 

death passed upon all his sin to his poster- 

men for t^at all have ■^ • ^J^ corrup- 

sinned:...For asbv one .^■' . , ^ 

man's disoben'ience tion OJ human na- 

many were made sin- tuve^ and the ina- 

ners, so by the obedi- ^n'^ ^f ^^^^ ^^ .^^_ 

enceof one shall manv i • ir r 

be made righteous."" cover himself from 

Eom V. 12-19. his lost estate " 

" What is man that he should be clean ? And he which 
is born of a woman that he should be righteous?" Job 
XV. 14. 

" And God saw that the wickedness of man was great 
in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts 
of his heart was onl_y evil continually." Gen. vi. 5. 

'' Behold ye walk every one after the imagination of 
his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me." Jer. 
xvi. 12. " The heart is deceitful above all things and 
desperately wicked ! Who can know it ? " Jer. xvii. 9. 

" Having the understanding darkened, being alienated 
from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in 
them, because of the blindness of their heart." Eph. 
iY. 18. 

" And you hath he quickened, who were dead in tres- 
passes and sins." Eph. ii. 1. 

" And you, being dead in your sins*" Col. ii. 13. 

"There is none that understandeth, there is none that 
seeketh after God. .. There is none that doeth good; no, 
not one." Rom. iii. 11,12. 



204: CHURCH MExVIBERS' GUIDE 

ARTICLE 4th. 

"For the mountains ^' We believe in the "I ^ill i^ake an 
shall depart, and the ^,,^^7^ ./.-^ ^ /^,,^ ^f everlasting covenant 
hills be removed, but evertasting tove of ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^ 

my kindness shall not CrOa to flis people, not turn away from 

depart from thee, nei- and in the eternal themtodothemgood; 

thershall the covenant j ^^^,,/.-^^ plprtimi ^^^ ^ ^^^1 P^^^ "^y ^^ar 

of mv peace be re- CL'^Ci P ecu Liar ececiiou -^ ^^^.j, jje^rts. that 

moved, saith the Lord, OJ a definite number they shall not depart 
that hath merry on of the human race to ^^om me.'" Jer. xxxii. 
thee." Isa. liv. 10. g^^^^ ^^^ ^i^^y . 40. 

and that before the 
world began there 
was a covenant made 
between the Father 
and the Son, in 
which the salvation 
of the redeemed is 
made secure " 

" I^have loved thee with an everlasting love ; therefore 
with loving kindness have I drawn thee." Jer. xxxi. 3. 

" Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee : and 
before thou comest forth out of the womb I sanctified 
thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." 
Jer. i. 5. 

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even 
the hidden wisdom, which Ood ordained before the world 
unto our glory." 1 Cor. ii. 7.- 

'^This people have I formed for myself; they shall 
show forth my praise." Isa. xliii. 21. 

" As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he 
should-^give eternal life to as as many as thou hast given 
him." John xvii. 2. 

" According as he hath chosen us in him before the 
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 205 

without blame before him in love. Having predestina- 
ted us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to 
himself, according to the good pleasure of nis will. To 
the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath 
made us accepted in the beloved. ... In whom we 
have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ac- 
cording to the purpose of him who worketh all things 
after the counsel of his own will : That we should be to 
the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Eph. 
i. 4-12. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ 
Jesus unto good works, Avhich God hath before ordained 
that we should walk in them," Eph. ii. 10. 

''Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Fath- 
er, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience 
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter i. 2. 

" Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy 
calling, not according to our works, but according to his 
own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ 
Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. i. 9. 

("For the children being not yut born, neither having 
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God accoraing 
to election might stand, not of works, but of him that 
calleth,) it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the 
younger." Rom. ix. 11, 12. 

"And the Lord added to the Church daily such as 
should be saved." Acts ii. 47. 

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad 
and glorified the word of the Lord ; and as many as were 
ORDAINED to eternal life believed." Acts xiii. 48. 

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the 
dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,- 



206 



CHURCH MEMBERS' GUIDE 



through the blood of the everlasting covenant." Heb. 
xiii. 20. 

"As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have 
sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no 
water." Zech. ix. 11. 

*'l the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will 
hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a 
covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles " Isa. 
xlii. 6. 

''Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall pre- 
pare the way before me : and the Lord, whom ye seek, 
shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger 
of the covenant, whom ye delight in." Mai. iii. 1. 

"Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also 
called : and whom he called, them he also justified : and 
whom he justified, them he also glorified." Rom. viii. 30. 

ARTICLE 5th. 



"He believed iii the 
Lord ; and he counted 
it to him for right- 
eousness." Gen, XV. 6. 

"He staggered not 
at the promise of God 
through unbelief: but 
was strong in faith, 
giving glorj^ to God ; 
and being fully per- 
suaded, that what he 
bad promised, he was 
also able to perform. 
And therefore it was 
impiiAed to him for 



"TFe believe that 
the righteousness of 
Christ, imputed to 
sinners, is the only 
ground oj their jus- 
tification b efo re 
God.'' 



righteousness. Now it 
was not wrjuen for 
his sake alone, that it 
was imputed to him ; 
but for us also, to 
whom it shall be im- 
puted, if we believe 
on him that raised up 
Jesus our Lord from 
the dead ; who was 
delivered for our of- 
fences, and raised 
again for our justifi- 
cation." Rom. iv. 20- 
25. 



"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with 
God through our Lord Jesus Christ : By whom also we 
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand 
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Rom. v. 1, 2. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 207 

"But the just shall live by faith." Heb. ii. 4. 

"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight 
of God, it is evident : for, The just shall live by faith. 
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them 
shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the 
curse of the law, being made a curse for us." Gal. iii. 
11-13. 

"I do not frustrate the grace of God : for if righteous- 
ness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Gal. 
ii. 21. See verses 16-20. 

"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that 
the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to 

them that believe Wherefore the law was 

our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might 
he justifiied by faith. But after that faith is come, we are 
no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the chil- 
dren of God by faith in Jesus Christ." Gal. iii, 22-26. 

(Much more might be quoted.) 

ARTICLE 6CH. 

"Moreover whom " We believe that ''That ye may 

he did predestinate, .i Simrif anrl thp abound in hope, 
them he CALLED : and ^"'^' op tr a ana me through the power of 
whom he called, power of God IVlll the Holy Ghost." 
them be also justified: effectuaily call, re- Rom. xv. 13. 
^li "ttS "IJ^^L Senerate, sanctify 
glorified." Rom. viii. 0.nd support those 
-30. who loere chosen in 

Christ, so that they 

may persevere in 

grace, and so that 

not one of them ivill 

finally be lost.'^ 

" But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit : 



208 CHURCH members' guide 

for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things 
of God." 1 Cor. ii. 10. 

"Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing 
is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the 
Spirit." 2 Cor. v. 5. 

"And we know that all things work together for good 
to them that love God, to them who are the called ac- 
cording to his purpose." Rom. viii. 28. 

"That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called 
you unto his kingdom and glory." 1 Thes. ii. 12. 

"Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling^ 
not according to our works, but according to his own 
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus 
before the world began." 2 Tim. i. 9. 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my 
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlast- 
ing life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is 
passed from death unto life." John v. 24. 

"And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me, that 
of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing,^ 
but should raise it up again at the last day." . . . "No 
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent 
me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day." 
John vi 39 44. 

"My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all : 
and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's 
hand." John x. 29. Rom. v. 8-10, 17-20, 21. 

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which 
hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the 
day of Jesus Christ." Phil. i. 6. 

"Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth surO;. 



FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES. 209 

having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are 
his." 2 Tim. ii. 19. 

'•For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be re- 
moved; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, nei- 
ther shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith 
the Lord that hath mercy on thee. ... No weapon 
that has formed against thee shall prosper; and every 
tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt 
condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the 
Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." 
Isa. liv. 10-17. 

ARTICLE 7th. 

"For ye £.re his " We believe that "For it is God that 
workmansiip, ere- 7 .,,^^i.^ „^„ ^7,„ worketh in you, both 

ated in Christ Jesns 9^^^ tvork^are t/ie to will and to do of bis 
unto GOOD WORKS, JVUlt OJ faith, that gicd pleasure." Phil, 
which God hath be- they folloio justifica' ii. 13. . 
fore ordained that we , • i • 

s.ouldwakinthem." ^f^^ ^^.^ ^^^ f^^ 
Eph. ii. 10. dence oJ a gracious 

state.'" 



''Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God 
would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the 
good pleasure of his goodness, and the loorh of faith with 
power; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be 
glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of 
our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thes. i. 11, 12. 

"Rfceived ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by 
the hearing of faith ? Are ye 3o foolish ? " Gal. iii. 2, 3. 

'•p^or by the works of the law shall no flesh be justi- 
fied." Gal ii. 16. 

' Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will 
show thee my faith by my works." James ii 18. 
14 



210 CHURCH MEMBERS' GUIDE 

"And by him all that believe are justified from all 
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law 
of Moses." Acts xiii. 39. 

''By their fruits ye shall know them." Matt. vii. 20. 

ARTICLE 8th. 

•'This Jpsus Vath ^^We believe that "Declared to be the 
God raised up, where- .i -jj i^ Son of God with 

of we are all wit- ^"^^^ ?^^^ ^^/ '^f power, ac3cording to 
nesses." Acts 11. 32. urrertion OJ the ihe Spirit of holiness, 
dead, and a general by tbe resurrection 
judgment; and that {'^"^ '^'^ ^^^^' ^^"^' 
the happiness of the 
righteous and the 
punishment of the 
wicked will be eter- 
nal:' 

"But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which 
they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, be- 
lieving all things which are written in the law and in the 
prophets: And have hope toward God, which they 
themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection 
of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Acts 
xxiv. 14, 15 ; 1 Cor. xv. 12-58. 

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven 
with a shou^fwith the voice of the archangel, and with 
the trump of God : and the dead in Christ shall rise 
first." 1 Thes. iv. 16. 

"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he 
will judge the world in righteousness by that man 
whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assur- 
ance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the 
dead." Acts xvii. 31. 

"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men 



FOR BAPTIST CIIUKCHES. 211 

by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Rom. ii. 16 
•'Anrl these shall go away into everlasting punish- 
ment ; but the righteous into life eternal." Matt. xxv. 
46. 

"If any man worship the beast and his image and receive 
his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall 
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured 
out without mixture into the cup of his indignation ; 
and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone In 
the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of 
the Lamb : And the smoke of their torment ascendeth 
up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor 
night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoso- 
ever receiveth the mark of his name." Rev. xiv. 9-11. 

GOSPEL ORDER. 

ARTICLE 1st. 

Thft tenet has been so fully discussed- by Scripture quotations in 
chapter on "Church Organizations" that it will be unnecessary to re- 
peat here. 

"We believe that a visible Church is a congregation of 
professed believers in Jesus Christ, who, enjoying Christ- 
ian fellowship with each other, have associated them- 
selves together with a view to keep up public worship 
and godly discipline agreeably to the rules of the gospel." 

ARTICLE 2nd. 

This article has been fully developed from the Scripture in the 
chapter on discipline. 

"We believe that Jesus Christ is the great Head of the 
Church and its only law-giver; but that the administra- 



212 CHURCH MEMBERS' GUIDE 

tion of the laws on earth is vested in each Chureh for 
itself — an equal share in the administration being the 
privilege of each member ; and that discipline is intended 
for the purity of the Church, and for the reclaiming of 
those members who may be disorderly in either princi- 
ple or practice, and should be' faithfully kept up for the 
glory of God." 

ARTICLE 3rd. 
See chapters on Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 

"We believe that baptism in water, and the Lord's 
Supper, are ordinances of Jesus Christ, and are to be con- 
tinued until his second coming." 

ARTICLE 4th. 

See chapter on Baptism. 

"We believe that the Scriptures prescribe no mode of 
baptism; that baptism and immersion are equivalent 
terms, and that consequently to substitute sprinkling or 
affusion for baptism is to disobey the command of our 
Saviour. We also believe that none but true believers 
in Jesus Christ are subjects of scriptural baptism." 

ARTICLE 5th. 

See chapter on Lord's Supper. 

"We believe that none but regularly baptized Church 
members have a right to commune at the Lord's table." 

ARTICLE 6th. 
See chapter on duty to confess Christ. 

"We believe it is the duty of every heaven-Vjorn soul 
to make a public profession of his faith, to be legally 



FOR. BAPTIST CHURCHES. 21'^ 

baptized, to become a member of a visible Church, and 
to partake of the Lord's Supper at every legal oppor- 
tunity in the whole course of his life." 

'•Having set forth the foregoing abstract of what we be- 
lieve to be the faith of the Churches which we repre- 
sent, we lay down for ourselves the following regulations, 
to-wit:" 

ORGANIZATION'. 

ARTICLE 1st. 

See chapter on Associations. 

''The Association shall consist of those members of 

Churches in the union who maj' be regularly chosen to 

represent them in this body, and who may convene for 

that purpose." 

ARTICLE 2nd. 
See again chapter on Associations. 
"The members so chosen and convened shall produce 
letters from their respective Churches, certifying their 
appointment, and stating the number of members, the 
number of those baptized, received or dismissed by let- 
ter, restored, excommunicated, or deceased since the last 
meeting of the Association." 

ARTICLE 3rd. 
Each Association adopts its own confession and by-laws. 
"The members thus chosen and convened shall be de- 
nominated the 'Georgia Baptist Association.' " 
ARTICLE 4th. 

Some Associations require this to be done by ballot. 
"The Association shall have a Moderator and Clerk, 
who shall be chosen by the messengers present." 



214 



ARTICLE 5th, 
See chaper again on Associations. 
'^If other Churches should desire to be admitted into 
the union, they shall petition by letter and messengers, 
and if on examination found orthodox and orderly, they 
shall be received by the Association, and the moderator 
shall welcome the messengers by giving them the right 
hand of fellowship." 

ARTICLE 6th. 
"Every Church in the union shall be entitled to at 
least two messengers, and to an additional messenger for 
every fifty members over one hundred." 

ARTICLE 7th. 

"Brethren in the ministry may be admitted to the 
council of the body whenever the latter may deem it ex- 
pedient." 

POWERS AND DUTIES. 

article 1st. 

"In furtherance of the objects set forth in the preamble 
of these articles, the Association may give advice to the. 
Churches of the union in case of difficulty, and if fellow- 
ship should be broken between any of them, shall en- 
deavor to restore the same; and shall withdraw from any 
Church or Churches that may be regarded by the body 
as unsound in principle and immoral in practice; and 
shall correspond, as far as convenient, with other Associa- 
tions of the same faith and order." 
ARTICLE 2nd. 

"This Association shall be invested with no ecclesias- 
tical power whatever," 



FOR BAPTIST chuhches. 215 

ARTICLE 3rd. 

"Every query sent to the Association by any Church 
in the union shall be read, and the Moderator shall put 
to vote whether it shall be debated ; if the vote is affirm- 
ative, the query shall then be discussed, but if not, it 
shall be laid upon the table ; provided always, that those 
queries which affect the fellowship of Churches shall be 
discussed first." 

ARTICLE 4th. 

"The Association shall fix the time and the place for 
the next meeting." 

BY-LAWS. 
ARTICLE 1st. 

"Every motion in order, duly made and seconded, shall 
be acted on by the Association, unless it be withdrawn 
by the member who made it." 

ARTICLE 2nd. 
"Every person who speaks in debate shall rise from 
his seat and address the Moderator, and shall not be in- 
terrupted while speaking unless on a point of order." 

ARTICLE 3rd. 
''No person shall speak more than twice on the same 
question without leave of the Association." 

ARTICLE 4th. 

"There shall be no whispering or talking in time of 
public speech, nor shall personal reflections be cast on 
any member." 



216 CHURCH members' guide. 

ARTICLE 5th. 

"No member shall absent himself from the Association 
without leave from the Moderator." 

ARTICLE 6th. 
"If any member shall violate any of these rules, he 
shall be immediately reproved by the Moderator." 

ARTICLE 7th. 

"It shall be the duty of the Clerk to record in a book 
the proceedings of the Association, and the latter shall 
see that he is suitably remunerated for his services." 

ARTICLE 8th. 

Some Associations only publish articles of faith and decorum at 
intervals of several years. 

"The Minutes of the Association shall be read (and 
corrected if need be) and signed by the Moderator and 
Clerk before the Association rises, and shall be printed, 
together with these articles." 

ARTICLE 9th. 

''Any of the above articles may be amended or altered 
whenever a majority of the Association may deem it ex- 
pedient." 

The foregoing confessions of faith, together with other 
articles of agreement, are inserted in the "Guide," sim- 
ply because they embody the faith and practice of the 
majority of Baptist churches and associations. Every 
church, association and convention adopt articles to suit 
themselves. There can be union among churches only 
as they agree. It will be remembered that Baptists be- 
lieve that a regularly constituted local church is the 
highest ecclesiastical authority on earth. 



B' 



